Forsaken
by JadedEcho
Summary: Meteor has fallen and Holy has come through. But as seven survivors come stumbling out of the wreakage of Midgar, the Planet cries out from a renewed wound. A revamped version of a five year old fic. Oh yeah, it's got lots of Shinra. Some things never die
1. Chapter 1

A Note- I swore not to do any author's notes, but I'm going to broke my rule just this once. This is a reprint of a fic I started about five years ago because I needed something to post on my now defunct website, the Shinra HQ and because I was feeling kind of depressed at the time. After time, I saw the fic was rife with the various problems that just irk authors to death and took it off , with the idea that if I wasn't proud of it, it wasn't worth posting anymore. That was about a year or so ago.

Over the summer, however, I was bored while on a vacation, and with my new computer (an iBook, if anyone cares. Its name is Freddie and I love it.) I took the old HTML documents I saved from the website, posted it into one big document and basically redid everything I hated. A lot of it is the same, but spelling errors, inconsistencies, certain anachronisms fixed and author's notes taken out. One characters back-story has been slightly revised. The mass amount of ellipses has also been minimized. I hope you enjoy the final product. I will add all that I have typed thus far and may add more to the story at some point in the future. As always, Final Fantasy belongs to Squaresoft (or possibly now, Square Enix). The originals characters are my own, kinda sorta. They took on their own lives and now resent me for abandoning them for so long. Enough rambling.

**Part 1: Separated Paths**

**Chapter 1**

Midgar had burned. It was no more than an empty shell, tossed aside by Meteor.

_Beautiful... _

Corpses lined the roads. All caught unaware.

_Had we really expected this? _

The school... The Shinra Headquarters... all prominent structures and people, reduced to ashes among the rubble.

_No. Through all the chaos, they really expected Shinra Incorporated would save their souls._

He was not God.

Maybe for a time he had thought he was, but no longer did. He realized how fleeting time was in that last moment. But for him, a man on his dying breaths, time had blurred together, without meaning in his twisted reality.

Meteor had finally fallen. It must have jolted him into a few moments of consciousness before his end.

_Worthless... _

He crawled, unable to do otherwise to the edge of his once beautiful office. Edge? There had once been a large picture window there, featuring a fantastic view of Midgar. It had been the last thing he'd seen.

He must be dead, but the pain had not been alleviated. He longed for its coming, and end to his existence. There was nothing else to look for. All he wanted was release.

Down in the street, seventy floors below, a young woman wept, her dog dead in her arms. Now he had seen, and he knew.

_It's too late. You've already been forsaken._

She screamed; her wail of agony met him all the way up there. She flicked out a switchblade and positioned it above her chest, preparing to drive it into her heart. He braced himself for it, the moment before death, the look of terror in one's eyes as they realized their life was over.

The knife clattered down onto the crumpled cement as she threw back her head...and laughed. It was a mirthless sound, maniacal. She was not a child, would never be one again. Was he able to see this from his lofty height above or was it some delusion he was seeing in his final moments?

"This is great!" She screamed hysterically. "It's beautiful! All hope is gone! This is wonderful!" She laughed again, insanely. "I was such a fool! Dead, they all died! Now I see! Death is beauty! I was a fool to think there could be anything else for me!"

Yes...It mirrored his own soul. He was a sick, sick man to view this suffering of another human being with such utter detachment. But it had become so clear. This death, this destruction...

_It's my fault. _

"It's beautiful! And so funny too!" She conversed between the ashes, the dead. "It's laughable! God said 'let there be death', and then there was! We all thought we were playing God, but no! It's crazy! You're all dead, and I'm still here!"

Dead? Him?

_I'm not dead! Don't put me with the rest of them! I'm not dead!_

"I'm...not...dead..."

She couldn't hear him, seventy floors below, only turned around, the dog still resting in her arms like it was just sleeping.

"No!"

_Don't put me with the others! I'm still here! _

She walked on, ignoring his screaming thoughts, still laughing darkly. There was no way...

"We are..."

He collapsed, unable to carry on any further.

_I can't be dead! I'm Rufus Shinra!_

"Forsaken..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Kasumi struggled among the wreckage. Meteor must have fallen, it must have, although she could not yet see the sky. Such massive destruction could not have been caused by Weapon or the Shinra alone. Really, she should feel sad, but there was no sorrow. As one who'd just spent the last four years in a juvenile penitentiary, freedom was everything. Whether it was to a world or a shell wracked by Meteor.

How could they? She thought angrily, remembering. How could _they_, those self righteous bastards, convict _her_, a nine year old child, of murdering her own parents, simply because she had survived the fire that had killed the rest of her family? She wouldn't, couldn't have done it. Didn't they think she felt horrible enough?

And prison was awful, cruel. Everything that was private became publicly monitored. The guards taunted them. Their favorite activity was telling Kasumi how she'd be executed when she was no longer a minor, and took great glee in describing it with malevolent relish. She'd rebelled at first, and then conformed, no longer having the strength to do otherwise. There wasn't any point to it. There was no escape. They would all die in execution soon enough.

Stripped of spirit and dignity, they waited for an end. No one spoke, no one laughed. Why bother? And now... She had been released to a world she knew nothing of. Maybe she could keep going on, find someplace to go. But where? She had no family anymore. She had no one. There wasn't anything.

The unknown was so vast and so frightening. She had not been afraid when she'd come there, but now she feared everything. She longed for a cigarette. She had learned to smoke a long time ago. Cigarettes were currency, their luxuries. She'd forgotten what real luxury or happiness was.

Four years could be a very long time.

"Hey? Are you alive?"

A man. In a blue suit, with the glow of Mako in his brown eyes. He was neither a guard, nor a prisoner. A Shinra employee, she wagered, judging from the logo emblazoned on the suit's pocket. Maybe he had not been issued a prison uniform yet. Better to stay on her guard. "Yes!"

Had she spoken? She hadn't known she still could. Encouraged by her success, she continued. "Who are you?" Her voice was low and hoarse. It had lost the silky quality it once had.

"Reeve Darien. Ex-Shinra employee. "

"Ex?"

He motioned upward. "See for yourself."

She gasped at the sight. The Shinra HQ was still there, yes, but it was reduced to dilapidation. "But...how...?"

"Weapon blew the roof off, and Meteor did the rest. " He said grimly.

"Then Vince Shinra is dead?"

"Yes." Reeve said. "But he died few months ago. Rufus, his son is... was the president."

A new president? She had heard whispered rumors, but not taken them seriously. Was she really so behind the times? "I hadn't known-"

"Of course not." He looked her over critically. "But you're rather young to be in a place like this. How long have you been in jail? What were you in for?"

Too many questions, too hard to answer. "Murder, arson. Four years." She said it statistically, used to seeing it on a printout. "But I didn't do it."

"Really? I had used to this the Midgar penal system rarely received an innocent prisoner, but apparently I was very much mistaken, seeing as we both managed to end up here."

"What are you in for?" Kasumi asked.

"Treason." He sighed heavily. "Scarlet and Heidegger, they're some executives, caught me passing classified information to AVALANCHE."

"Treason?" She exclaimed, but was unable to get her voice above that low tone. "Wow, it's not every day we get a traitor here!"

He sniffed disdainfully. "Traitor's a rather harsh word. I was doing this for the greater good of the planet."

"That's what they all say."

He frowned thoughtfully. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't. It's Kasumi Mariah Lewis." She said with dignity. Her name was all she had, even though it had been tainted.

Reeve smiled. "That's an awfully large name for a girl like you. Don't you have a nickname?"

"My friends-" She stopped short. She had none anymore. "Some people call me Kasi."

He glance upward at the Shinra HQ, then continued. "Well Kasi, how would you like to come along and do some work with me?"

"Huh?" She instantly became suspicious. "What is it?"

"I want to find President Rufus."

"I thought you said he was dead." She said accusingly.

"I never said that."

"It's impossible that anyone could have survived being hit by Weapon, then Meteor. He's gotta be dead by now, anyway."

"Nothing's impossible." He waved that aside. "I can pay you for this if you want."

Should she go? For money or because this was the only other person who'd survived? A traitor? What did that imply on his character? She couldn't even trust him yet. "I..."

"You'll come." He said matter-of-a-factly. "Neither of us has anywhere else to go, so we might as well stick together. We've both survived this, so we should go look for others."

She eyed at him suspiciously. "You sure?"

"Of course. Come on." He motioned for her to follow. Without any better options, Kasi followed him out of the prison wreckage.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Kitana Kenderson walked the beaten highway, her feet aching. It wouldn't have been so bad, ordinarily; she'd left Midgar relatively unscratched. But then again, no one had really counted on Meteor falling. Hiro had sent her into a death trap, she thought, disgusted at the man. He should know better, than to send his best bounty hunter there. At least she'd survived. _She'd_ survived, but no one else had.

She stopped below the town's gate, reading the sign. "Kalm Town" A boy at the gate watched her curiously, and then spoke up. "Are you a bounty hunter? One of BLADE's bounty hunters?"

"Yes." She adjusted her sword on her back. He must have seen the scars on her wrists and black diamond earrings, BLADE's markings.

"Cool!" He exclaimed. "Do you know Hiro Senshi?"

"A little." The question was rhetorical. Hiro Senshi, the warrior leader of BLADE, the order of bounty hunters...No one _knew_ Hiro Senshi. Except maybe his second-in-command, Krysta Lyndia. There was always one exception to every rule.

"Did you come from Midgar? Was seeing Meteor fall cool?" He was now bursting to get out all of his questions. "Is it true that BLADE was going to take over Shinra when President Rufus died? Are you still going to?"

Take over Shinra? Yes...but it wasn't worth it now. It had been Hiro's obsession, but it was not just Shinra Inc. he wanted. He wanted Rufus Shinra dead at his feet. He wanted to kill him in cold blood. No one knew what fueled his hatred, but it wasn't to be taken lightly. The ultimate bounty, an incredibly large bounty reward of 150000000000 gil for the bounty hunter who brought him the president alive. Dead, there was no reward. Hiro wanted to do his own dirty work.

As for Kitana, she'd left Midgar in hopes of being able to get at Rufus while the rest of his company was preoccupied with the transportation of Sister Ray. But she'd gotten there too late; he was already blown to smithereens by Weapon. She imagined Hiro was horribly disappointed, but hadn't been able to see his reaction yet. She was unable to get out of Midgar because some quack named Hojo had overloaded the cannon. Then Meteor had fallen. She couldn't remember that part too much. She felt the heat, burning alive, then only pain.

"Well?" the boy asked impatiently. "Is BLADE taking over or not?"

"You shouldn't talk like that. These are dangerous times. Even a kid like you can get killed for saying the wrong thing." The boy flushed. Kitana ignored it. "How much does it cost to get a room around here?"

"Um...About three hundred gil, ma'am." He estimated, looking downward. "But if you put up a haggle, it might go for cheaper."

"Thanks for the advise." She flipped him a coin as a lousy tip. Oh well, it would be better to conserve her savings. "Any news around here?"

"None since Rufus kicked the bucket. But there were another two Midgar survivors here too. One of 'em's in the inn. A mafia-type dude in a suit. Barely conscious now. Some guy with a really cool sword dropped him off.

"Another?" She'd been under the mistaken belief that she had been the only survivor. If she had though, it was logical to think that a few others might have as well.

"Do you want me to carry your stuff to the inn?" He offered. "It's not any trouble."

He was eyeing her wallet. Maybe the tip had sparked his interest. "All right." Kitana dropped her weapons into the boy's waiting arms and followed him into Kalm.

"I can't keep up with you!" Kasi complained, jumping the dilapidated stairs of the former Shinra HQ two by two. "Can you slow down?"

Reeve turned around. That Mako glow was beginning to get unnerving. "If you keep jumping like that, the stairs are likely to fall through."

"Damn!" She cursed, as he continued at his previous speed. "Why are we doing this?"

"Because."

"That's not a reason!" She yelled. "Tell me why!"

"You wouldn't understand." He said shortly. The computers were miraculously running, albeit slowly. He began entering in his security codes. "I have my reasons."

"And they are?" Kasi demanded.

"I owe this to someone."

"Who?" She asked, confused.

"General Jue Frade of Junon."

"General Frade?" Kasi repeated. "But she commands the Junon base. Why would she care?"

"She's watched over Rufus since he was little. I owe it to her to bring something back."

Something? She paled, wondering what that was. A person? Or a corpse? "I...I ain't here to be a grave robber."

"Of course not. If that's the case, you can go home and forget what you've seen here."

Go home and forget. How very tempting. Only in her dreams..."I'll never forget. And I don't have any home to return to." She said bitterly.

"All the more reason for you to stick by me." He said, frowning at the computer's results. "We're almost there, anyways." Give me hand with this door, it's locked."

She started to try to pry it open. "It's stuck!"

"Use this." He handed her a metal rod that appeared to have been attached to a desk at some point. "The mainframe's down, but the computers are still working for some reason."

"Mainframe, huh?" She grunted, attempting to use the desk leg to open the door. "Betcha must've been a damn fancy executive. Betcha made a lot of money too."

"Money's not everything." He said nearly in monotone. Kasi shrugged. The sound of metal on metal screeched loudly. She was making enough noise to wake the dead, her mother would have once said.

_Hopefully..._

"Whew!" She exclaimed, the door pushed back. "You Shinra execs have really good locks!"

He didn't comment on that, but went past her, surveying the damage that was the 69th floor. Kasi whistled lowly. Large patches of the ceiling had fallen out. The room was in shambles, a stark few corpses littered among the debris. The damage was bordering on what was incomprehensible.

"Looks like a direct hit." Reeve said grimly.

She was feeling nervous, but tried to hide it. "Sure smells up here." The air was full of chemicals. She ached for a gas mask. It smelled of Mako, cleaner fluid, and various other things she couldn't identify, smoldering only a few feet away from her.

"We should try to get to the 70th floor. The air will be a little bit clearer up there, at least." Reeve said, offering her a hand.

"I...I guess." But she didn't want to go any further.

"It would be a shame to turn back after we've come so far." He smiled. "And after this I'll take you someplace we can stay. A kid like you shouldn't be left alone. How old are you?"

"Thirteen." She said softly.

"And they convicted you of murder?! Awful..." He muttered, shaking his head. He was trying to distract her, she thought as they kept going up the stairs. Still, it helped a little to relieve the growing sense of dread in her stomach. Was he offering to take care of her? The man was not making much sense.

The 70th floor was by far worse than the 69th. The roof was completely blown away, allowing the light drizzle to fall through. Shards of glass decorated the floor, glittering in the dying sunlight. The president's desk was in pieces, and the president himself...she clenched her eyes shut, unable to continue watching...lay facedown on top of it.

"Very much like your father," Reeve murmured, dropping Kasi's hand. "So this is the way the Shinra legacy ends." He laid a hand on his shoulder. Still warm. Was he..?

"Reeve!" Kasi squeaked. "I don't want to do this! I don't want to be a grave robber! I want to go home!"

"Shh!" He said gently, then not so gently, "I thought you said you had no home."

"But I..!"

Reeve turned him over as a ragged breath escaped Rufus' lips. "He's...he's still alive!"

"That's impossible!" Kasi protested, her hands shaking. "You're starting to scare me!"

_Starting? He already has._

"Anything's possible. Except maybe this. Do you have any Materia?"

Materia? That was laughable. "I haven't owned Materia in years."

"They confiscated all of mine back at the prison. Damn!" He said, frustrated. "I don't suppose you know First Aid?"

Kasi shook her head. "Maybe we should just get him to a doctor."

"That would be the best thing to do, but everyone else in the world is Anti-Shinra now. Or hell-bent on creating a democracy. No one would help the ex-president of Shinra. Or us, for that matter. We're both convicts, by law at least."

A convict. It had not been the first time she'd been called one. The drab prison uniform spoke for itself.

Reeve began pacing, deep in thought. "There may be someone."

"Who?"

"Maire Peterson. She's a doctor outside of Kalm and my friend for a long time."

Friend? The look in his eyes told otherwise. Oh well, it was none of her business. "But that still leaves us with Little Prez..."

He looked at her. "We could carry him."

"No way! There's no way I'm carrying some dead guy around!"

"He's not dead. " Reeve said, somewhat annoyed. "And I suppose you have a better idea?"

"Dammit!" She muttered, realizing the hopelessness of their situation. "You'd better be paying me real good for this then, Reeve Darien..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Alita Takaya struggled, dragging her glider behind her. The Mehaev...it had been her father's, the Captain Omry Takaya. But he had died years ago, in the Midgar/Wutai War. And now...her friends, her mother, and her dog...dead! They all died!

She had buried her beloved dog, in a manner fitting for the noble animal. It had shielded her from the debris when Meteor fell and the buildings began collapsing upon them. Brave dog, loyal companion...he shouldn't have died. _They_ shouldn't have died.

She'd retrieved her Mehaev from the wreckage of what remained of Midgar Academy's hangar in the hope that maybe she could use it to fly out and escape Midgar. But the glider was damaged, and there wasn't an updraft to be found, no wind to fly upon. And there was no way out.

She'd stopped concentrating on getting up into the air. Now the objective had changed to staying alive, she had given up on trying to kill herself. She had come to her senses and realized that the dog's sacrifice would have been in vain then. It wouldn't be right. Even if she died, there would be no one left alive to mourn. No one to remember at all... However, it was still beginning to seem like an unavoidable fate. She didn't have any strength left to get herself out of Midgar. She could see herself for that moment, clearly, her labored breathing, body collapsed on top of the damaged Mehaev. She must have died, was fading fast...

She was still able to watch, and had seen only a few minutes ago, two people enter the Shinra Headquarters. She felt a surge of anger, remembering. Looters, or else grave robbers. The president, and anyone who'd once supported him were dead. Couldn't they leave everything alone?

No. No one was content to let the past die. To let them rest in peace.

_"Ashes to ashes..."_

_I'd said I knew what life was. Yes... It is pain, marked, and ended in death._

_"Dust to dust..."_

The clinic was rather small, Kasi reflected, as Reeve attempted to lift Rufus onto a stretcher. A computer's voice greeted them. "He-ello. The doctor will be with you in a moment-"

"Dammit, we don't have a moment!" He banged the countertop angrily. "We need a doctor now!"

A nurse, obviously a candy stripper, walked out from behind the counter, holding a coffee mug, and looking extremely annoyed. "You don't have to yell. We're on our coffee break now. What do you want?"

"This man is injured," He motioned frantically to Rufus. "We need a doctor, now!"

"Hold on a sec! Let me have a look at him first. I _am_ a nurse, after all." She peered over the counter at the stretcher. "Oooo, is that who I think it is?" She ran into the backroom. "Dr. Peterson! Maire! Maire, there's a fugitive in here!"

Kasi watched the doors slam shut. This might have been funny if the situation were no so grave. "Fugitive? Which one of us is she talking about?"

"I think she means Rufus."

Another, this one a doctor, tall and graceful, entered. Her eyes widened immediately. "Reeve!"

He wasted no time with formal introductions. "Maire, this man is hurt, we need help-"

She looked to the stretcher, then back to where the candy stripper and two other doctors were standing. "You said we had a fugitive here, Eleanor?"

Eleanor, the nurse, nodded her head eagerly. "That man's Rufus Shinra! I saw him with my own eyes!"

"Mm.." She looked over the man on the stretcher "He looks rather different. I had a hard time recognizing him for a moment. Reeve?"

He sighed heavily. "It Shinra."

"Is he even alive?" One of the doctors spoke up.

Maire started checking his pulse. "Not for much longer, I'm afraid. Take him into the emergency room, we'll get started right away." None of the other doctors moved. She looked up sharply. "Well? What's the matter with you?"

"You can't help him! You'll get us all killed!" Eleanor yelled shrilly. "If AVALANCHE or the bounty hunters don't get us first, the Anti-Shinra protesters will!"

"If you're willing to just stand there and let him die, then you're failing at your job."

"Is he really worth your life?" Eleanor persisted. "He'd be better dead anyway."

She shrugged. "It's my job. If the rest of you are too scared of AVALANCHE, then I'll do this by myself."

She began wheeling the stretcher into ER. Eleanor shook her head and sat down, giving further proof that she wasn't going in. The other doctor ducked back into the lounge for their belated coffee break.

Kasi stared in shock. "What was that?"

"_That_," Reeve pointed to the ER. "was a professional. The rest of them are amateurs."

"But why won't they help her?"

"They're too afraid of getting killed." He said. "These are dangerous times."

"And that makes it okay?"

"No. But it gives them an excuse." He sighed. "Why don't you get some rest, Kasumi? This might take a while."

"...Okay." She settled down in a chair and fell asleep right away for the first time in a long while.

"Is she all right?"

"She's breathing!"

"Is that a Mehaev? I haven't seen one in a long time."

"Cloud, what should we do?"

"May as well take her. We can't leave her to die."

"Vincent?"

"...."

"Barrett will be pissed."

"Barrett will have to keep his temper like everyone else. I'll carry her."

"And the Mehaev?"

"Put it in the truck."

"Of course."

_I'm...still...alive?_

"She's been through the mill, this one."

_No...I hear, but I can't see a thing._

"Cloud, she's still not waking up!"

_Oh. See, whoever you are, I'm dead. Just leave me behind._

"Cloud..."

_I'm...not dead?_

"Just give her some time, Tifa."

_Time?_

_Time doesn't mean anything to me._

_Nothing at all._


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kitana Kenderson awoke in darkness. She fumbled around for the light switch, and then chastised herself for her moment of weakness. What would the light do? Nothing, that's what. It wouldn't help the fact that she hadn't gotten a decent night's sleep since Meteor fell. The whole thing replayed endlessly in her dreams.

Tomorrow she'd return to BLADE's headquarters north of Rocket Town, and report back to Hiro. That would help to stop the dreams. It would be back to the ordinary things, hunting down and killing criminals for reward money. All under Hiro's watchful eye...

Were they all criminals, though? Some were. But others were not. Certainly Rufus Shinra had been not convicted of a crime, not officially at least. But they were told to stalk him, that he was condemned to death by Hiro Senshi.

Why?

_ **/Do not question. It is orders. /**_

Yes. It was best not to consider it too much, only follow.

_My God, what am I thinking?_

_ **/Don't think. /**_

_Don't...think?_

She was too tired to question. Tomorrow she'd go home. Home...She'd not thought of such a place in a long time.

_ **/Remember, Kenderson, you are one of BLADE's finest bounty hunters. And you, body and soul, belong only to BLADE. /**_

_Help! Mommy, where are you?_

Kasumi awoke with a start, and then glanced around. This was not the chair she'd fallen asleep on. Someone must have moved her onto a bed. She hopped out, and then went out the door to get a better look around.

It was still night. A single nurse was on duty. But where was Reeve? She crept past the nurse carefully, not wanting to be sent back to bed. By now, she thought grimly, I should be quite good at getting past guards.

"I can't believe you came back here."

She froze. "Wha-" Were they talking to her? No, the voices were arguing in the next room. Reeve and Maire were...fighting?

"You shouldn't have done it, Maire, if that's the way you feel."

"I'm a doctor, dammit! That's against every medical ethic there is!"

"Then why?" Reeve voice was remaining eerily calm. "Why lose your life over it?"

"I don't know!" She yelled, then regained control. "I don't know. But what about you? Why did you bother to save him?"

He sighed audibly. Kasi crept up closer, trying to get a better look at things. "Don't ask me this, Maire."

"I don't like to say this Reeve, but the man is almost _evil_. You of all people should know what Mako does, and how the company works. It's cruel!"

"Maire..."

"And what about you? I heard you were arrested!"

"Yes." He was beginning to sound more and more like he regretted this conversation had started. "Scarlet and Heidegger caught me sending AVALANCHE information using the Cait Sith robot."

"Cait Sith? That little Mog thing? You always did have a knack with electronic things." She sniffed disdainfully. "But it wasn't meant to be used for spy work."

"It was fascinating, though," He said eagerly. "Everything about AVALANCHE, their whole way of life. It's far different than what I've seen at Shinra. They were risking their lives daily, but for what? They weren't getting paid; they weren't getting any recognition. One of them, Aeris, she was killed by Sephiroth. And in the end, AVALANCHE saved the planet and all Shinra did was try to destroy it."

There was a long silence. Kasi wondered what was going on, but daren't try to get any closer. "So what else happened?" Maire asked softly.

"At first President Rufus wanted me to use it for spy work. But after AVALANCHE went to the Temple of Ancients, I told him the robot was broken. But I sent a second model out afterwards and it continued the journey with them as though nothing had happened. After Weapon attacked, Gya haa haa and Kya haa haa caught me with the microphone and carted me off to jail, I guess." He laughed slightly, but it held little humor.

"What about Kasumi? Where did she come from?" Kasi sat upright immediately at the mention of her name. Had they found her out?

"I'm a loss too. She must have been an inmate at the prison. They've got her convicted of arson. She says she was innocent."

"And you believed her?"

"Yes." At least Reeve had faith her, she thought glumly. "She looks like she's been through hell. I feel bad, that's all."

So now she was an object to be pitied. Wonderful...

"What are you going to do with her?"

He sighed again. Kasi cringed. What did she want the answer to be? "I don't know. That's great, just great, she thought angrily. Just leave me hanging there like that!

"Well, you both seem healthy enough."

"What about Rufus?" He asked.

"Mr. Shinra's injuries were mainly internal, and I was able to fix that with a couple of Cure3s. I also minimized most of the scarring. However, he does have the Mako eyes, like you. Any ideas how you got it?"

"None. I suppose one of the reactors exploded. But then again, _everything_ exploded. One reactor wouldn't make much of a difference. Although it didn't affect Kasi."

"That's rather unusual. But neither of you have Mako poisoning, which is good. And I wouldn't feel too badly over it. You know," She crossed the room to look him over. "It kind of gives you character. Any bounty hunter would think twice before messing with you."

"Trust you to think of something like that. I'm just wondering how to break this to Rufus. He's lost his company, the populace hates him, and to top it off, he's got Mako in him."

"Tell him he should be glad to be alive."

"It may not be a good enough answer for him."

Hmm... Kasi crawled back from the door and started walking back to her room. An interesting set of developments, she thought, wondering at the full meaning of Reeve and Maire's conversation.

Someone had gone into a coughing fit in the next room over. She looked up for the nurse on duty, but she wasn't at her post. Damn. She'd have to do this by herself, then. She wasn't going to walk on past when someone needed some help. Kasi opened the door a bit, and then peeked into the room. "Are you all right?"

The room was dark except for the dim moonlight emanating from the window and the bright glow from a pair of blue Mako eyes. Rufus Shinra. She should have known. At least he was awake. "I- I'm all right."

"That's good." She said in a tone of false cheerfulness. "Do you need anything else?"

"A glass of water...or something, maybe."

"Yes. Right away." She turned to go, get out of there.

"Wait!"

She turned back around regretfully. She'd do just about anything to get out of there, right now, but stayed. "Yes?"

"Your name, please. Are you the nurse?"

"I'm not the nurse. My name's Kasumi Lewis. I heard you coughing and just wanted to see if you were all right."

"You shouldn't have bothered coming in. I'm fine." But he coughed again, though she heard him trying to muffle the sound. "Where do you live?"

"Midgar. Or I used to live there."

"Midgar? What happened to Midgar?"

She wished Maire or Reeve would come. She didn't want to be the one to tell him this.

_"...the man is almost _evil._..."_

He didn't look evil. He looked almost...scared? No, impossible. This was Rufus Shinra. Never bled, never cried. She should know better.

"What happened to Midgar, Miss Lewis?"

"I can't say, sir. I'm not supposed to get you upset...."

"I'm already upset!" He shouted. Kasi backed against the wall nervously. When he spoke again, his voice was calmer. "Am I the only one of the Shinra executives to survive?"

_Are you all alone? I'm so sorry..._

"Mr. Darien...Reeve Darien, survived. He's here right now. I can go get him if you want." She offered. Oh please let me get Reeve, she prayed. It would be easier to face him than stay there.

"No. It's not necessary." Damn! Kasi thought. "You sound young. How old are you?"

"Thirteen. You?" Kasi asked.

"Twenty-four. But it's pretty late for you to be up."

She glanced at the digital clock. "Not really. It's only eleven o'clock."

"Really? I can't see the clock."

"It must be the aftereffects of the Mako. That'll go away in a little while. Maybe even tomorrow morning, if you're lucky." She said optimistically.

"I'm not lucky."

"I suppose that goes for both of us." She muttered.

"Kasumi...what happened to my company?" She didn't have the heart tell him. "It's gone, isn't it?"

"You know?" She asked, startled.

"I figured that much out." He said dryly.

"From what I saw the Headquarters is nearly demolished. It's also popular belief that you're dead."

"Damn..." He said softly. "I suppose I should have seen it coming." She wished to be able to comfort him somehow. No one had seen it coming. He shouldn't blame himself.

"No matter," He murmured, more to himself than to Kasi. "I'll restart the company. My existence depends on it."

She couldn't stop herself. "Restart the company, and you existence will _end_, Mr. Shinra."

"Mr. Shinra? Not Mr. President?" He laughed darkly. "It's been a long time since anyone hasn't called me by that. And what about it, Kasumi? Is that a threat? Or just a repeat of what is inevitable?"

"N-no!" She exclaimed. "It's just that there's a lot of stuff going against the Shinra Company right now. The bounty hunters, the anti-Shinra protesters, and well, most of the population, really. But..." She dropped her grip on the door. "If your intentions are good, then I'll support you."

_If my intentions are good? Have I really been so blind?_

_No!_

He didn't say anything. "I should go now, Mr. Shinra." Still no response. She exited, and quietly shut the door behind her; then, not knowing why, she felt the uncontrollable urge to cry.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_"Only death awaits you. But do not fear. Because it is in death that a new spirit energy is born. Soon you will live again, as part of me..."_

He didn't remember too much after hearing that cold, arrogant voice from Satan himself. That brilliant slash of steel, and the sudden realization of the insanity of the fruitless search for the Promised Land would be among those last memories. Then, proving that he had lost his mind, he had seen Aeris once more. But she was not the sympathizer he'd expected, but rather, scorned him for his deeds at Shinra. He'd deserved no less.

Had he died? It passed in fleeting moments of consciousness, crawling on his hands and knees, slowly regaining what little strength he had left. Such a foolish way to die. He was a Turk, for God's sake! But he had never stopped to confront his own mortality.

Tseng Kenji had returned to Midgar miraculously, though he remembered little of the ordeal. He'd intended on rejoining his fellow Turks. However, he just barely gotten there before Meteor fell. There was that growing sense of despair again. He'd survived Sephiroth only to be crushed by the "calamity from the sky" he'd summoned. Aeris would have been amazed to see it.

He had long learned to keep his emotions in check, just as the president's son had. But the feeling of being trapped was overpowering. There seemed no way out of Midgar. There was another with him, though, an artisan or sword smith, judging by the gloves wore and the blade he carried. He'd never learned the man's name, but it was because of him he'd made it to Kalm. As soon as he could get up, he'd thank him, then return to the rest of the Turks. Rude, Reno, and Elena...they no doubt thought him long dead. And Aeris...what had happened to her?

This was the most frustrating feeling of all, because all he could do was wait...

"Hello? Are you awake?"

It was that woman again, the one with the pretty face and long brown hair. "Ah! You are up! What's your name?"

_Name?_

She was lying on a couch in someone's living room, the smell of chocobos permeating through it. "I'm...Alita Takaya."

"Takaya? Wasn't your father a pilot? Captain Omry Takaya?" She asked eagerly.

"Yeah. But...I'd rather not to talk about him." She attempted to sit up, but was knocked back by a sudden wave of nausea. "Where...where am I?"

"The chocobo ranch outside of Midgar. Oh!" She exclaimed. "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Tifa Lockheart."

"Lockheart? Of AVALANCHE?" She queried. No wonder she'd looked familiar. "I saw your picture a lot at the base. I...used to work for the Shinra. But not anymore."

"You did? Where?" She asked curiously. "You're a little young for the Turks and you don't have the Mako eyes from SOLDIER."

Of course, her uniform had become too dusty to be identified. "I was in the Air Force. The Fuji-Yama Flight Team."

"Fuji-Yama? We expected to see them patrolling above Midgar when Weapon came-"

"We never got the order." Alita said with a sudden flash of anger. "If Rufus had given the order, we might've been able to stop Weapon, or at least help people evacuate. But he never did."

Tifa looked at her with a mixture of sadness and pity. "Do you have any family? Any friends?"

"Not anymore." She said, not revealing the sorrow she felt.

"Well then, you can stay with us!" She said, a bit too cheerfully. "I mean, it's just us, because the rest of AVALANCHE is down in Nibelheim fixing up the Shinra Mansion. But it's okay, I-"

"Thank you. You're very kind." Alita turned to the window.

_Sunlight. Feels like I haven't seen it in a long time._

"Are you okay?" Tifa asked, concerned.

"I'd like to be left alone." She tried to smile. "If that's all right."

"Of course." Tifa jumped up and went to the door. "If you need anything else, just holler."

"Thank you."

Tifa nodded, with a small smile, and left.

_What was the last thing I can remember?_

_"I'm...not...dead..."_

Had she heard someone say that, or was it just in her own head? This was too confusing. She struggled to stand, receiving sharp pains in her legs. But she stood and faced the window.

_So cold..._

She couldn't keep standing, and had to sit again, feeling chilled. She drew her knees up to her chest in an effort to get warmer. For a moment, she had felt something...and then nothing.

_"Now I see! Death is beauty! I was a fool to think there could be anything else for me!"_

Had she truly said that?

So many emotions, she mused. All of them were futile. There had been anger, sorrow, then despair, now...nothing? Why?

She could still remember the way it was at Midgar Academy, the military base that took up almost all of the top plate of Sector Four. They had been waiting, for the orders for that last air strike on Weapon. They were already all going to be killed by Meteor, so why not go out with a big bang?

But it never came. Rufus never gave the orders. They kept waiting for nothing.

Nothing. Now she felt nothing.

Rowan Avine cast a regretful look back at Kalm, then kept walking. He had a long way to go if he wanted to reach Junon soon. It was already nearing dusk. Maybe he should have stayed in Kalm until the Turk woke up. But he preferred not to talk to people anyways. They asked too many questions about him, and his work.

He was an artisan by trade, a craftsman who made weapons. It was his father's work before him, and his grandfather's before that, and even though Rowan had taken up another line of work, he never completely gave up on being a smith or the legacy his family had laid out for him. He'd been told that the swords themselves should be considered works of art, but never really paid attention even when the Shinra employed him. It was only briefly, to make blades for the higher-ranking generals of SOLDIER. He was a SOLDIER himself then, but they did not overlook the fact that his entire family had been smiths. They wanted him to make a blade, one was to be made special, surpassing the others.

What work he'd put into it! He'd poured his heart and soul into the task. The hilt was expertly done, with mastered Materia already embedded into it. Nearly seven feet in length, far too long to be sheathed It was his masterpiece.

The Masamune.

It had been given to General Sephiroth by President Vince Shinra. The general even thanked Rowan once he'd learned who'd made it. What a paradox. Good and evil in one body. Perhaps he wasn't entirely evil, but the influence of Jenova over him. But Jenova was more or less synonymous with evil.

Later he'd learned what the Masamune had been used for. Slaughtering an entire village, killing an Ancient, and murdering countless others. Evil. If he had poured his soul into making a weapon of such mass destruction, then surely the taint of such evil was in him as well.

After that, he wasn't in SOLDIER anymore and he didn't make any more weapons. It had been a naive assumption to think that the sword was made to be used with peaceful objectives in mind. He blamed only himself. Had he not made the Masamune itself, turned down the Shinra's offer, others would have been spared.

_It was my sin, my weakness. Driven only by lust for more money, I had not stopped to think of the consequences._

He couldn't help but think about the Turk. They had both been in Midgar as Meteor fell. After recovering from the initial shock, Rowan had taken him to Kalm. Never even learned the man's name. Would they meet up again? He doubted it. He didn't like to be around people. His ordinary nomadic existence was fine. Fine by him, fine by everyone else.

_It is my penance._

He sighed, realizing how long he'd been out already, and how much of a ways he still had left to go.

Kitana kept up a quick pace as she left the inn. That damn annoying kid was still there. She didn't feel like talking. Her thoughts remained on returning to BLADE.

"You're leaving?" He called out to her, louder than necessary.

She turned. Damn, the kid was standing, watching her. "Yeah. Are you planning on stopping me?" That was a joke, that child taking on her; it was laughable.

"No." He shifted his position uncomfortably. "Where're you going?"

"To Junon. I'm going to catch the boat going to Costa del Sol." And then onto BLADE, she thought happily.

"To Junon?" He asked, surprised. "But haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"Junon's under martial law. General Frade's not letting anyone in or out. There's no way you could get into Costa del Sol." He said.

"No way, huh? Kid, I'll find a way, believe me." She grinned. "So you shouldn't be worried."

"I ain't worried." He whined. "Will you be coming back soon?"

"Maybe." But really there's not a chance in hell of that, she thought.

"Okay." the kid seemed satisfied. "See you later, then."

She nodded. Nice kid. Maybe he wasn't as annoying as she'd originally thought. There was no way for her to know for sure now. "Bye kid."

"Mmm?" Kasi woke up to see sunlight streaming in. Morning already? It felt strange to be waking up in a real bed. Had she really spoken to Rufus just last night? The memory seemed fuzzy, maybe based in some dream rather than an actual occurrence.

_"Is that a threat? Or just a repeat of what is inevitable?"_

_"If your intentions are good, then I'll support you."_

She should probably talk to him again. To apologize? No, besides what had she to apologize for? But first, duty calls. She needed breakfast and a cigarette if she could find one,. She didn't smoke often, but figured she'd probably deserved one after everything that had happened.

Kasi exited the room and went down the hall. Maire was seated at the nurse's station, going over some paperwork and looking displeased over the results, but she greeted Kasi with a smile. "Good morning, Kasumi. Sleep well?"

"Yeah." She couldn't help but feel a bit more cheerful. "Is Reeve around?"

"I think he's on the computer at the front desk. He's looking at some of Shinra's old files."

"Sounds fascinating." Kasi said sleepily, not really meaning it.

"I'll have to agree with you." She laughed. "None of that's very interesting. Are you hungry? Breakfast ended quite a while ago, but I think there may still be some doughnuts left."

"Doughnuts would be good." Well, that solved the breakfast problem. As for the cigarettes, the large, red 'No Smoking' sign solved that.

"They're in the backroom. You can help yourself. I'd love to join you, but I'm afraid I'm a bit busy now." Maire said, shuffling papers.

"That's okay. Thanks." Marie nodded, as Kasi went into the backroom. Sure enough, a box of doughnuts lay out on the table. She picked one of the cream-filled kind, and knocked on Rufus' door. Maybe he'd want one too, she thought. Naw, he was probably more used to gourmet, or something.

There was no answer. "Huh?" She tried again, louder this time. She opened the door slightly to peek inside.

There was no one in there. Where would he go? She realized the answer almost automatically.

She ran to the front desk, where Eleanor, the candy stripper from the previous day was loudly chomping on bubble gum. "Eleanor!" Kasi exclaimed. "Did Rufus Shinra just walk out of here?"

"Dunno." Chomp, chomp. "Yup."

She sighed in exasperation. "And you let him go?"

"Yeah. What, you think I want to tick him off? I'd rather have him out there than in here." She began blowing a large, pink bubble.

"Dammit!" She'd have to find him before he went and got himself killed. But not without popping that ditz's bubble first.

_ Midgar. He's gone to Midgar._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Alita looked out of her room. Tifa had fallen asleep on the couch, television set blaring. She felt a pang of sympathy. AVALANCHE had gone through far worse than she had.

Still, she felt cold all over. Outside it was not much better, despite the bright sunlight. There was a fenced in area for grazing chocobos, but none of the birds were in there. A pickup truck was parked alongside it. It caught her eye immediately, a glitter from the metal siding. Her Mehaev was lying in the back of the truck. She ran to examine it. The glider had been repaired by someone. A rather large sword rested on top, carelessly tossed in as luggage. A Buster Sword, used by a SOLDIER, First Class.

She smiled as a wind blew past her. Conditions were perfect. Maybe a short flight was just what she needed to feel normal again. She should probably borrow the sword for a while, just in case. She'd never handled a sword before, but the guns she were used to were lost somewhere back in Midgar, and these days, she wasn't about to go into unknown territory unarmed, no matter how benign it might seem. She needn't wake Tifa. The poor woman needed her rest

After all, she'd only be gone for a little while.

_ "If your intentions are good, then I'll support you."_

Rufus kept walking, ignoring that haunting thought. What an annoying child, just waking into his room and presuming to tell him what to do. It was_ his_ company, and he'd be damned if anyone told him how to run it, particularly some ignorant slum child.

He'd have to restart it. The world relied on Shinra Incorporated to solve their petty problems. And despite the fact that he detested it as well, he probably needed it too. It had given him some purpose for remaining alive, but it too, had gone away. His father had said so himself, without him, without the company, Rufus would just be a nobody.

Ah, yes, father. Dad. That was a term he'd rarely referred to him by. He hated the president (as he'd called him that most of his life) almost as much as the company he'd founded. Rufus may as well have been another one of his drones, a menial worker with a fancy title. Born for the sole purpose of succeeding the president, yes, he had been told many of times how useless he was. How he was a business partner, not a son. The lowly vice president, in name only, who watches on while the president does everything.

The old man had gotten what he'd deserved in the end. He'd felt no remorse for him. After all, it had gotten him his presidency, which he'd been waiting for his whole life. But that too, had ended too quickly.

Still, it lingered in the back of his mind. If Vince had deserved to die, then did that mean that Rufus had also deserved what he'd gotten?

He looked upward, a break from his thoughts. He was half enjoying being outside. It had been years he'd been outdoors for a purpose other than business. He could see it all from the scenic window in the Junon base, and then again from his office in the HQ, but this was the first time he was allowed the freedom to enjoy it. Although the sunlight was beginning to hurt his eyes... Damn Mako. He'd never entirely liked the idea of Mako. Its cons outweighed its pros. But as long as it was bringing the towns' electricity and him a profit, who was he to complain? Besides, the old man would have given him hell if he hadn't agreed to the reactors.

He glanced to both sides cautiously as he entered view of the main road. No one in sight. Good. He didn't have his shotgun, and didn't feel like fighting any bounty hunters, or anyone else for that matter. For once, he did not wish to be found. He half expected that Kasumi or Reeve might be looking for him, but in the wrong place. Going to Midgar would be futile, there was nothing to be gained by going back there. He would go to Junon. Jue would help him restart the company. The general had been one of his mother's friends, and also owed the Shinra company one hell of a debt. Perhaps this could be used to his advantage. She had also kept by him while Vince had practically forgotten his son existed. _She'd_ help him if anyone would.

And even if Jue wouldn't, he could do it by himself. Shinra Incorporated would be reborn from the ashes of Meteor.

Kasi braked the bike in front of the restaurant in Kalm. She'd "borrowed" it from Eleanor, who was currently preoccupied with getting the bubble gum off her face. Maybe she could pick up a pack of cigarettes and see if anyone had seen Rufus.

Why was she looking for him, anyways? He wasn't exactly a friend. Was it that she felt sorry for him? No...and she was pretty sure he didn't want her pity. She entered the restaurant, which was flooded with the chatter of miners from the Mithril Mines. This wasn't so bad. The cashier at the counter smiled at her. "What 'cha lookin' for, honey?"

Kasi cringed at being called honey. How nauseating. "Um..a pack of cigarettes."

The cashier frowned. "You got ID?"

Did she look like she had ID? "No."

"Then I can't sell 'em to you. Sorry. Rules are rules."

Damn! There were too many rules. She may as well quit now. "A couple of packs of gum, then."

"Quittin' cold turkey, huh?" He grinned. "That's gonna be hard."

"Yeah, I know." She said regretfully. At least maybe Reeve would be happy.

"You thirsty? You can have a soda or something. On the house." He said grandly.

"Oh. Thanks." She said, surprised as he handed her a Coke. Nice guy. She sat down quietly in the back and listened to everyone else talk.

"Yeah, Junon's entirely closed off. No one can get in or out." someone said.

"Junon's under martial law? What the hell is General Frade thinking?!" one of them sputtered angrily.

"She's worried that BLADE's going to attack."

"BLADE? Hiro Senshi's more interested in restarting Shinra than taking over Junon. At least that's what I heard."

"Naw, he just wanted to kill Rufus. The fun's over for him now." Kill Rufus? Why was that? She must have missed hearing the reasons for this while she was stuck in the prison.

An old man laughed hoarsely. "Yeah, I saw this blond guy headed towards Junon too. Kinda looked like the prez, but I didn't see him real close. Musta been from SOLDIER with those Mako eyes."

Kasi nearly spat out her Coke. "What?!"

"Oh yeah. This young kid, walkin' towards Junon. I was drivin' past him. I tried to tell him Junon was closed off, but he wouldn't listen."

Sounds like Rufus, she thought. "Anything else?"

"Nope. A pretty girl like you, got a crush on 'im?"

Kasi wrinkled her nose. That was bordering on disgusting. "No."

"Oh well." He turned back to his drink.

So Rufus had gone to Junon. What was he looking for there? She might be able to catch up to him since he was on foot. She paid and rushed out of the bar.

_Rufus, what are you thinking?_

Kitana stretched. It was a nice day, and after making it through the Mithril Mine, she felt she deserved a rest. She was feeling a little tired. Maybe Meteor had taken more out of her than she'd thought. Of course, she didn't like to admit that, not even to herself.

_**/You're being weak, Kenderson./**_

Weak? Her? She was anything but.

Still... She had to sit for a bit, or else she might collapse. She shifted her sword to her side and relaxed under a tree, looking up at the clouds. That glider had been circling above for some time. It was the same kind that was used in the Shinra Air Force, Mehaev, model type B. They hadn't been manufactured since the Midgar/Wutai War.

_**/Shoot it down./**_

_What?_

_**/Don't question. It is an order. Shoot down the Mehaev./**_

Who was she to question orders?

_ What the hell am I doing?_

She pulled out her rifle, rested it on her shoulder, aligned the site with the Mehaev.... and fired. The Mehaev faltered, then descended. She stood and watched silently as the young pilot started running towards her.

She was petite, probably younger than Kitana's twenty-five years, a Buster Sword strapped to her back. She didn't look at all like she could handle a sword as large as the one she had. The bounty hunter would be more than a match for her. She was quite certain of it.

"What the hell are you trying to do?!" the pilot exploded angrily. "Are you're trying to kill me or something, bounty hunter?"

Bounty hunter. Oh yes, that was she.

The pilot drew her Buster Sword nervously, obviously unprepared for a fight. "Well? Do you have an answer?"

"No."

She was confused, but tried not to show it. "It's all right, I guess, you didn't damage my glider-"

_**/Kill them./**_

"I-I don't want to fight." Kitana stammered.

"Neither do I, but the fact that you were shooting at me-"

Her voice now seemed further away as Kitana struggled inwardly.

_**/You're one of BLADE. Kill them./**_

One of BLADE... Yes. That was who she was.

Her voice was in a monotone. "I've been in Midgar for a while, and my skills are getting rusty. I may as well practice on you."

The pilot paled. "What?"

"A battle. You, against the finest bounty hunter BLADE has to offer- Kitana Salome Kenderson."

_**/Yes, kill them. Both of them.**_

_Both? I can only see one._

But she could scarcely keep from grinning as she raised her sword to strike down and slay the girl in one smooth stroke.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Rufus stopped short at the sound of gunfire. Firing at him? It wouldn't have been a problem if he had his shotgun, but now... He turned the corner in the road just in time to see a bounty hunter raise her sword to strike upon that girl. The one he had seen before, at the Shinra Headquarters.

_" Now I see! Death is beauty! I was a fool to think there could be anything else for me!"_

Was she the same?

Kitana licked her lips in anticipation. Yes, this was what she craved. The feeling that she playing God...hell, she _was_ God! She controlled who lived and who died.

_** /And you die./**_

Instinct took over. The pilot blocked the slash with her Buster Sword.

"Hey, you're pretty good!" She grinned. "What's your name, kid?"

"Alita Takaya!" She yelled, attempting a pitiful attack.

"Takaya, eh?" She'd heard of the name, and the nickname, earned from the mass destruction at air battles. "The Angel of Death, of Fuji-Yama. Even a nickname like that can't faze me!"

Alita smiled darkly. "That's me." She struck, lashing the bounty hunter across the arm.

Kitana turned, trying to parry against her next thrust, but saw the dim glare of Mako some ways off from them. It was there, then gone. Someone was watching.

_** /Damn!/**_

_What?_

_** /Never mind. Just finish them off./**_

Kitana faltered, nearly losing her grip on her sword. "What the hell?" She muttered. "Why are you making me do this?"

Alita stopped shortly as Kitana recovered slightly, then continued her assault.

_Yes! This is what I was looking for! A reminder that I'm alive... The feeling that I'm in control..._

_It's beautiful, that rush, that brief moment before death._

_My god, what am I doing?_

For a moment Alita had seen something in her that had been gone since Meteor had fallen. That desire to destroy. That which she feared most of all.

_ But still, I cannot resist._

Kitana continued blocking, unable to attack. "You fight like Sephiroth himself, kid!"

**_ /Not her! Kill _him**

Him? But only Alita was there.

_** /The one with the Mako eyes. It's him we really want, not the girl!/**_

"But-" Kitana exclaimed aloud. Was even the pilot too strong for her? Impossible! Her sword flew out of her grip from the Buster's sword's final strike, and landed upright in the ground. The pilot had won. But how?

Alita looked at her, voice cold. "Pick up your weapon and let's finish."

"You're doing me something I don't deserve. But-" She breathed heavily, the rush of battle fading. "You've won. I surrender."

The pilot's eyes widened. She seemed almost...sane, again. "Huh?"

"I know the feeling," Kitana smiled in recognition. "The way you get, just before you finish someone off. But...it's not something to be proud of, I don't think."

"No?"

"You still must finish your part, though, so that I can die with some honor intact." She picked up her sword and sheathed it, waiting. "It's BLADE's law."

"I can't." Alita sheathed hers in turn, proving she wouldn't use it. "I wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

_Are you the innocent, then? Or are you still just the same Angel of Death in a devil's guise?_

"You shouldn't stay with BLADE, then." Alita concluded, as the bounty was still deep in thought. "Why don't you quit and work for yourself?"

_I can't live just for myself. I _need_ to be controlled. Or else I fall apart._

"I couldn't do that." She said.

No. Alita didn't want to see this. She hated it...she hated herself.

"You're from Midgar, Alita?"

"_Was_ from Midgar." She stressed. "I was there when Meteor fell."

"You too?" She made a mental note of those who'd survived Meteor. The boy at Kalm had mentioned 'a mafia type dude in a suit' and 'a guy with a really cool sword', Alita, and herself. Four people.

_Shouldn't there be more?_

Alita looked at her strangely. "Maybe you should come with me. You like you could use a few Cures"

"Depends where that is."

"The Chocobo Ranch. With AVALANCHE."

"AVALANCHE?" She repeated, slightly shocked. This she had to see. "Can I- ah...Can I actually see them?"

"I guess."

"You guess?" She grinned. "Well, I s'pose I should apologize or something."

"Don't bother." Alita brushed past her to get to the disabled Mehaev.

"Why?" the bounty hunter asked, almost surprised.

"Why say something you don't mean?"

"Interesting theory." Kitana attempted to help her with dragging the glider. "I'll have to keep that in mind for next time."

"I doubt there will be a next time." Alita said coolly.

Kitana smiled inwardly, getting the feeling that the girl was hiding something.

_Sooner or later, I'll know what you're thinking, Alita Takaya._

_** /Later./**_

Had he really seen that? Rufus stood, shocked. A civilian, disarm a bounty hunter? That was difficult enough for a SOLDIER, but no one without training could battle a bounty hunter and live. Himself included. He hated himself for not having come forward to help her, but she obviously could defend herself.

There was something...unusual about her. The bounty hunter had called her Angel of Death. Fitting, considering what he'd heard her say at the Shinra Headquarters. It was strange they'd met up again. She'd fought with Cloud Strife's Buster Sword, too. He'd recognize the sword anywhere having seen it at close range the night his father had died, and had the scars to prove his encounter with it.

He was tempted to speak to her and ask how she'd managed to acquire Cloud Strife's weapon, but though the better of it. He had no idea of her political views and didn't wish to be seen by the bounty hunter. If Hiro Senshi found that he was still alive, he was as good as dead.

_As if I'm not already._

"RUFUS!" Kasi bellowed from the top of the hill. He turned immediately, looking shocked, but quickly collected himself. She jumped off the bike and started running and yelling at the same time. "What the hell do you think you're doing?! You can't just leave whenever you feel like it! You want to get killed?"

"Would you care either way?" He asked coldly.

"Yes, dammit! Why else would I have bothered to come out here? You and Reeve are the only people I could call friends right now! And I'm sick of seeing people get killed!" She took a step backwards, rather shocked at her own outburst.

"Friends? It's been a while since I've heard that one." he looked up at the girl, who was looking flushed. "Your name was?"

"Kasumi."

"Forgive me, but I can't be expected to remember everyone's names, particularly in these current circumstances." That sounded too much like his father for comfort, he thought ruefully.

"It's okay, I guess." She looked at him with concern. "Um... are you okay?" He was looking kind of pale, which stood out in stark contrast to the bright glow of Mako.

"I'm all right. But I saw-" He stopped himself. Why tell her? Then he'd never be allowed out of the clinic again, and he'd already had enough of being treated like a child. "I'm fine, all right? You can stop staring at me now."

She frowned, not believing he'd told the truth, but didn't feel like pressing it. "Where did you plan on going?"

"To Junon."

"You do know Junon is under martial law, don't you? You'd never be able to get in. Especially if someone recognizes you." She said, though he thought that was somewhat doubtful. The doctor had said so too when she first looked at him. _"He looks rather different."_ "You shouldn't be running around, especially after what happened to you." She scolded. "We can still go to Junon. But you shouldn't go by yourself. It's not right for you to go by yourself when you've got someone else to go with you."

"You'd go to Junon? It would be dangerous for a kid like you." He said.

"And not for you? It was pretty stupid to go out with no weapon."

"I couldn't find a shotgun." He admitted coolly.

"Well, I'm sure we can get you another one." She said cheerfully. "And maybe Reeve'll come."

"Maybe." He still hadn't even seen Reeve yet.

"You wanna come back with me?" Kasi offered.

"I may as well." He sighed in resignation, and cast a look backwards to where the bounty hunter and the pilot had gone._ Angel of Death_. How ironic. It suited them both perfectly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Krysta Lyndia smiled to herself as she walked the darkened halls of BLADE's headquarters. It was beautiful. She preferred these dark passageways and was aware that there were many in the world who might consider her sentiment as a reflection of her own personality. Her reasons was more practical, she spent so much time in BLADE that she rarely emerged from the Headquarters and found that light bothered her eyes more than it should.

One of the patrolling bounty hunters stepped aside and saluted as she passed. She enjoyed this respect, bordering on reverence. Finally, she was the one on top, and the others must be content to watch her and wish for obtaining her kind of success. Now she'd insured a way to stay in Hiro's good graces for a long time. This bit of news would undoubtedly lift him out of that aggressive mood he'd been ever since he'd heard of the fall of Shinra Incorporated. And to think, it had come from a menial drone.

She didn't even wait for clearance, but went directly into Hiro's quarters. He was at his desk, and looked up sharply. "There had better be a good reason for this, Krysta."

"There is, Master Senshi." She nodded eagerly.

"Then state it and get out. I'm in the middle of business."

"In that case, I'll be brief, sir." This would no doubt put him into a better mood. "Sir, we must re-instate the ultimate bounty."

He looked up again, face revealing his annoyance quite clearly. "And why should we do that, when the subject is dead?"

"Rufus Shinra is very much alive, sir."

Hiro seemed vaguely amused. "And how did you come upon this brilliant assumption, Lyndia?"

"One of the bounty hunters saw him in the area between Kalm and Fort Condor. Kitana Salome Kenderson, registration 067-FC92."

"Kenderson, eh?" He chuckled. "She's always been one of the best."

"She was in Midgar, sir, when Meteor hit."

"And she managed to survive that?" He laughed. "Well, if Kenderson can, then I bet someone like Shinra could too. Interesting. But still, how did you know? Kitana hasn't reported back here."

"I've been monitoring her feedback extensively, sir."

"Yes." He leaned his head on his hand thoughtfully. "An amazing bit of technology. I find it quite curious that you've never consented to it."

"I never felt it was necessary."

"And why, pray tell, is that?"

"Because I would follow your orders without question, Master Senshi." She said firmly. Let him think she was loyal, for once.

"No wonder you are my second in command." He said quietly. "Yes, you can re-instate the ultimate bounty. But on one condition-" He sat down again and put his feet up on his desk in triumph. "Remember that I get Rufus Shinra. Understand?"

"Of course. That goes without saying."

She could have sworn he smiled. But that was impossible. "Of course, Krysta."

_Fool..._

Alita stepped inside the small house quietly, hoping not to disturb Tifa. The sudden sound of the TV being muted was a good indication that she had, however. She looked up from the couch. "Alita?"

"I needed to get out for a while." Alita said truthfully.

Tifa nodded. "That's fine. Captain Highwind fixed your glider for you."

"I saw. Tell him I said thank you."

Kitana peered in from behind her. "I, um, met up with someone." Alita said, slightly embarrassed at the bounty hunter's awe. "Kitana Kenderson."

"Hey." Kitana said amicably.

"You're one of those bounty hunters aren't you?" Tifa asked nervously. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to le-"

"Relax, I' not here to collect any bounties." Kitana shifted her sword, and offered a hand, which Tifa reluctantly shook. "Just wanted to escort Alita home and offer my congratulations to the heroes who saved the Planet."

"T-thanks." Tifa stammered, shocked.

"Besides, AVALANCHE was never on the bounty list," Kitana said nonchalantly. "So there's no need to be afraid of little ol' me."

"No, but Hiro Senshi only kept us off the bounty list because he thought we were trying to overthrow the Shinra." She said, eyeing the bounty hunter suspiciously. "We would have been on it the moment he decided to take the company for himself."

"That's right." Kitana grinned at her testimony. "But the point is, you weren't. As long as you don't get killed, it doesn't matter."

"It does matter."

_** /I really wouldn't listen her, Kenderson./**_

"Yeah, well," Kitana waved it aside. "I wasn't here to fight with you or anything."

_** /But even when you try to fight, you fail miserably. You couldn't even finish off a little pilot with no training./**_

_No one could have fought like that without training!_

_** /Regardless, you didn't even pursue the one who was watching you. The one with the Mako eyes! Why didn't you kill him?/**_

"I should probably go."

"You don't look well." Tifa said, mildly concerned.

"I-"

_Why should I have killed him, anyways?_

**_ /Why do you question? I own you Kenderson; your mind, body, and soul belong to BLADE. You will do as _I_ say, without questions. This should go without saying./_**

"Kitana!" Alita yelled, as the bounty hunter swayed, and fell.

_** /And where there are questions, there are consequences./**_

Kasi cautiously peered both ways before entering the hall toward her room. No one around. Good. Now if she could just get a little closer...

"Mind if I ask where you went?"

She whirled around. It was Reeve, Mako eyes revealing amusement. "Hiya." She said.

"I noticed you and Rufus left for about an hour."

"Really? I thought you were too busy with computer files to have seen."

"I notice many of things." He said simply.

"Yeah, well..." She shrugged. "I felt like I needed a change of scenery."

"That's understandable-"

"Reeve!"

They both turned. Rufus had broken into a run down the corridor, then stopped short when he saw that they were watching. He cleared his through and held out a hand, which Reeve hesitatingly shook. "Reeve."

So formal, Kasi thought. Was this something drilled into him by his father, or his real personality? No, for a moment she'd seen some sort of boyish exuberance in him. But that was gone as quickly as it came.

"Glad to see you're feeling better, sir."

Kasi rolled her eyes. God, they were talking like a bunch of suits. Actually, considering their choice of attire, the term was accurate.

"Reeve," Rufus said, going straight to the point. "What happened to Midgar, exactly?"

"Um-" He seemed a bit startled. "Kasi, maybe you should go..."

"Are you kidding me?" She muttered.

"Midgar is gone, sir. Completely demolished."

Rufus remained unfazed. "And the HQ?"

"It's barely standing."

He's taking this very well, Kasi thought. "What about the other executives?"

"Palmer left Midgar after Weapon. He had a nervous breakdown. Gibbering like a complete idiot, if he wasn't one already. Gya haa ha and Kya haa ha got trapped in the Proud Clod while AVALANCHE was battling it, and got blown to pieces." Reeve managed to smile at the nuances of the former executives, but Rufus didn't bother.

"So," He continued impatiently. "You're saying that you and I are the only ones left?"

"Yes, sir."

He took a moment to let that sink in. Palmer, Heidegger, and Scarlet really shouldn't be considered as losses. "Then we're going to Junon. Tomorrow, if possible."

"Why?"

Kasi already knew why. "He wants to restart the company."

Rufus sent her an annoyed look. "Yes. That's right."

Reeve frowned. "That would be very unwise, sir, on several accounts."

Rufus glared at him. "And why would that be so unwise?"

Reeve continued as though this were obvious to anyone. "The first reason is that Junon is practically a breeding ground for bounty hunters. Second, Junon is under martial law. There is no way for you to get in at all. The third reason is that even if you weren't killed on the spot once you got in Junon, there is no one who would work for Shinra Incorporated."

Rufus smirked. "What about _you_, Reeve, my faithful employee?"

"I don't work for Shinra anymore." He said shortly.

"And you never did." Rufus finished sarcastically. "I'd almost forgotten, that little bit of treason with the Cait Sith robot."

"It wasn't treason!" Reeve protested.

"Mmm? Then what was it? That robot was only supposed to be used to get the Keystone from AVALANCHE. Nothing more than that. But you seemed to have your own uses for it. At least Scarlet and Heidegger weren't too incompetent to take care of that."

"Yes, but-" He shook his head. "How do you know that, anyways? That was after Weapon!"

"The intercom in my office was left on. I could hear everything until Meteor hit."

"Everything?" Reeve repeated, shocked. "Then you know what happened?"

He tossed his head. "I know that Hojo took over the cannon, and AVALANCHE decided to bust in and take care of things, since you so nicely clued them in."

"I had to! Hojo would have destroyed Midgar, we would have all been killed-"

"But Midgar was destroyed in the end after all. So it didn't matter."

"Of course it matters!" Reeve nearly shouted.

"I suppose it would to someone like you." He said disdainfully.

Kasi felt compelled to speak up by this point. "So are you saying you'd rather have been blown to smithereens by Hojo than get a little scratched by Meteor? You should just be glad you're still alive!"

They stared at her, having forgotten she was there in the midst of their argument. Reeve placed a hand on her shoulder as a signal for her to keep quiet. "Go see if Maire needs some help."

"But-"

"Go!"

"Yessir." She muttered. Maire peeked out into the hallway. "What's the matter?"

Kasi shut the door behind her. "They're fighting."

"Yes, I could hear that." She said softly.

"Dr. Peterson-" Kasi started.

"Maire, please."

"Maire," She sat down in her desk chair and began swiveling herself around. "You don't like Rufus, do you?"

"Huh?" She looked slightly surprised. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"I heard you talking last night with Reeve."

She blushed. "You really shouldn't be listening in on other people's conversations."

"I know. Sorry 'bout that. But," She stopped the chair's spinning, it was starting to make her dizzy. "I was out with Rufus and he seemed okay. Kind of nice, almost. But when he came back here, now he's starting arguments and acting like a real bastard."

Maire chucked. "You probably should watch your language with Reeve around."

"Sorry. Acting like a jerk, I mean."

"Are you asking me why he's acting like that?"

"Yeah." She smiled, pleased that the doctor had hit upon her point so well.

"Well.." Maire looked thoughtful. "I wouldn't know. I'm not a psychologist."

"Oh." Kasi said disappointedly. "Yeah, well..." She glanced at the newspaper laying on the desk. "Mind if I read the funnies? I haven't gotten to in a while."

"Go right ahead. I've got some filing I need to do anyways."

She took off the plastic wrap and unfolded the paper as a little insert fell out. She picked it up, expecting a set of coupons.

**BOUNTY REWARDS FOR THE WEEK OF 5/27**

"Maire..."

"What is it?" She stood up and looked at the piece of paper. "Oh my God..."

** Rufus Xavier Shinra- WANTED, Reward: 150,000,000,000 gil**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_She stood, wondering where she was. It was that place again. She'd never been there before, but saw it so often. The beautiful underground city. It was uninhabited now, but must have been occupied by an enlightened people..._

_The Cetra. This was Lyndia, the city of the Ancients. Long forgotten by everyone except a few. Krysta, of BLADE, had taken the name to show all she had achieved the knowledge of the Ancients. Conniving, but clever woman. Her intentions were usually anything but good._

_Not like this one, though. The pretty one, kneeling at the altar, praying to some unseen entity. She longed to go up and talk to her, but daren't interrupt her solitude._

_She could also see dark shadows lurking in the ceiling high above her. A blonde man was running up to her, sword drawn. He wouldn't strike her though, she knew that. The man in the red cape, and Tifa, Tifa from AVALANCHE, ran to stop him_

_Cloud. The blonde young man with the spiky hair was Cloud. She knew without being told that this was the mercenary leader of AVALANCHE._

_The shadow above the girl in pink was moving faster now. It was moving...down?_

_Sword out execution style, Sephiroth plunged the Masamune into the praying girl._

"Alita..."

_ She screamed. She couldn't help it. She ran to them, but didn't seem to be gaining any speed. Tifa, Cloud, and the man in the red cape, all of them stared through her like she was a ghost._

"I beseech to you, Alita. Don't let it end this way."

_The girl slumped forward, still impaled on the sword, scarlet torrents of blood running down the blade._

"I didn't want to die. Even though I knew that it was for the good of the Planet, and that I came here on my own choosing... "It doesn't mean I wanted it."

_Sephiroth pushed her off his sword, and grinned, pleased with his handiwork. Cloud rushed the catch her._

_Dead._

_She had died, just like everyone else._

_Alita had seen death and even cause it so many times that she no longer flinched at seeing it._

"That's why the bounty hunter called you Angel of Death."

_It froze. No one moved. Sephiroth looked up and smiled again._

_She hated him. How could he smile after committing a murder? Evil man..._

_"You'll find it's quite easy."_

_He carefully cleaned off the Masamune with the edge of his jacket. "How do you like this, Alita? This is exactly what happened in the City of the Ancients less than two months ago."_

_She shook her head. "I don't like it. But this isn't real. You're not real. You're dead. AVALANCHE killed you in North Crater. And good riddance, I say." She added._

_"Exactly. But don't judge me so harshly. You've forgotten how controlling Jenova is."_

_"Liar!" She spat. "You had free will. You had a choice."_

_"Say whatever you like. I don't care if you use me as your verbal punching bag. After all, I'm dead." He said with a sardonic smile._

_She hated him even more for his nonchalance. "How I wish I had been the one to kill you..."_

_"Go right ahead."_

_She lunged forward, with all the strength she had... and passed straight through him, falling to the floor._

_He laughed. She gritted her teeth and stood again. "What the hell are you trying to pull?"_

_"I need you to do something for the sake of the Planet." He said, brushing her comment aside. "Do you see that, down there?"_

_He pointed into the water below the altar. A small orb was glowing a pale green. "It's Materia."_

_"The White Materia, actually. It summons Holy. I need you to get it, and use it."_

_"Why?" She said warily._

_"You'll know later. I pray that it isn't soon, but one never knows."_

_"Then how am I supposed to use it?"_

_"I don't know exactly how. That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself. But you're not alone. There are people from Midgar who can help. Seven of them, to be precise. You've already met Kitana."_

_"She tried to kill me. That's not exactly helpful."_

_"Her actions too, are being controlled by another."_

_"By Jenova?"_

_"No, not Jenova. Jenova is dying in North Crater as I speak. Kitana is being controlled by an external force."_

_"I'm not sure I understand..." She said, not fully comprehending it._

_"It's okay. You'll know it all later."_

_She looked up at the frozen scene. "But what about Aeris?"_

_"Do not worry about her. She has returned to the Planet, and is all right." It wasn't reassuring. "Don't be afraid."_

__

Alita blinked in the darkness. Had she been dreaming? It didn't matter. Her memory was still fuzzy. She couldn't remember everything. Even those things...

The soft sound of movement came from across the room. She strained to see. "Kitana?"

"Captain Takaya?"

Captain? She'd never been called that before. "No, I'm just a lieutenant. My father... he was a captain."

"Oh. Sorry 'bout that." the bounty hunter said. "Where am I, anyways?"

"The chocobo ranch. You passed out. Miss Lockheart was kind enough to lend you a bed." Alita said dryly. She wouldn't have been quite as nice if in Tifa's position.

"Damn!" She cursed, followed by a long string of expletives and several other muffled sounds.

"Hmm?" Alita waited. "Are you crying?" That was unheard of. "Are you all right, Kenderson?"

"No I'm not all right, dammit!" She snapped. "How do you think I feel, for something like this to happen to someone like me? I can barely keep up standing on my own, and I was beaten by you, some punk kid who's probably never even picked up a sword in you entire life. I-" She breathed deeply, trying to stay in focus. "I must be becoming less of a bounty hunter, and that's the last thing I want, is to end up like everyone else."

"Why are you worried about ending up like everyone else, then?" Stupid bounty hunter superstitions. She never could understand that sort of thing.

"Because then I'll forget why I joined in the first place." She laughed to herself. "It wasn't some fool decision I made on the spur of the moment. I actually had a reason."

"Yeah? Why would you join BLADE? Why not SOLDIER? At least that would be legititmate."

"Because I like killin' people. It sounds sick, but I like that adrenaline rush. Doesn't hurt that it pays good either." She grinned darkly, but it faded quickly. "My dad was murdered too, that's also why. I figured in BLADE, if I was chasing criminals, I'd meet up with the guy who did it. And when I did-" She banged the headboard of the bed convincingly. "I'd kill 'em. So I joined BLADE for revenge, really. They gave me the initiation, and so here I am now."

She'd heard of BLADE's bizarre initiation rights. "What do you mean exactly?"

Kitana pointed to the scars at her writs. "It's doesn't hurt that much. They just want to see how tough you are."

"Oh my Planet..."

"Don't look so shocked." Kitana tossed her head. "And don't act like Shinra never did anything dangerous either. They did experiments on their soldiers, gave 'em Mako. Killed a couple of them with the shit, and its side effects could leave them real messed up. And if Shinra sent them off on a suicide mission to die in some godforsaken place, they had to go. At least in BLADE, my life's my own. If there's someone I don't feel like going after, then I don't have to go. I get to choose my own conquests."

_**/Brave words, Kenderson./**_

"Yeah, well" Alita rolled over, getting a sudden pain in her stomach. "Shinra never owned me. And I don't work for the Air Force anymore."

"You could. There's still a branch of Fuji-Yama in Junon." Kitana pointed out.

"Junon's where I'm headed. But for now-" Damn, she was feeling sick again. "Have you ever had the feeling that there was someplace you had to go?"

"No."

"Forget it, then." She got out of bed. "I'm going out for a while. If Tifa asks where I am, tell her I went for a walk."

Kitana looked at her critically. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah." She lied easily.

"You're looking kind of pale."

Alita shrugged. "Does it really matter to you?"

"Sorta."

"How very eloquent." She shook her head, opened the door, and started out, shutting it behind her. She half expected the bounty hunter to be coming after her, but after standing outside the door for several minutes, she heard nothing. Good. She could continue on her way in solitude. Tifa was talking to someone else in another room, and she thought the better of disturbing them, and exited out an open window. The Mehaev was ready and waiting.

_I'm going home._

Rufus leaned against the fence out side the clinic. He preferred it out there, in the dark. Reeve hadn't even noticed he'd left, he was to busy arguing with that doctor, about that damn bounty reward. He was beginning to get to the point where he didn't care if the bounty hunters came. He didn't have the strength to fight them off anymore. How very pathetic. He scoffed at his own inabilities. He'd fought Cloud Strife and lived, he was the richest, most powerful man in the world, and now-

He was just a man, without a title or a company. In short, nothing. Something worthless that could be thrown away as easily as it was acquired. He still didn't understand why Reeve went back for him. It would have been easier if he hadn't. He was just a burden on the older man, a burden with a reward on his head. He wasn't worthless at all to BLADE, if that was something worth celebrating over.

At least AVALANCHE had a reason to be happy. They'd finally done it, defeated the _evil_ Shinra Incorporated. He laughed bitterly. Evil. He'd used the same word to describe AVALANCHE. And he'd thought they were beyond such concepts. There was no such thing as good and evil.

He glanced upward at the darkened sky. It was a windy night, with quite a few stars dotting the sky, a difference from what he used to seeing. No one could see stars over Midgar. It had always been too polluted. Not much to see, anyways.

His view was briefly obstructed by a passing shadow. A cloud? No. It was the Mehaev, with the same girl from earlier piloting it. It flew in a straight path, over Kalm and beyond that.

_Towards Midgar?_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The Mehaev circled above Midgar. Visibility was bad. The thick dust that had flown up into the air blocked any sort of light out. Alita stared with a sort of horrified fascination at the ariel view of the fallen city. So this was the fate to befall the Mako Metropolis. This was how it ended.

No matter. Meteor had struck mainly from the northeast, but all of Midgar had taken the damage. In some places the top plate had fallen on top of the slums. Those who had not gotten crushed had probably died upon the impact of Meteor or else hit by debris. With all this, she wondered how anyone had managed to make it out alive.

At least the place she was looking for was still intact.

She had never been there before, but it had a sense of familiarity about it. She wondered what drew her there. She had never been religious, and really didn't believe in any sort of afterlife. She hadn't been to one since her father died.

But this wasn't the cathedral Captain Takaya's memorial services had been held in eight years ago. It was one of the slum chapels, little more than a shack now. The Mehaev landed roughly on a large piece of debris, probably from a roof. Alita rolled off, getting a sudden shot of pain, then regained her footing, feeling lightheaded.

_Painful...feels like being ripped apart from the inside._

She stepped inside, ducking under the split doorframe, then looked around. There were flowers growing in a large patch in the floor. She bent down to sniff one of the rose's fragrance. Plants never grew in Midgar unless they were synthetic, but these ones here were real.

She winced and dropped the flower. A small orb of blood welled up. She'd forgotten to be careful. Every rose had thorns, as feeble as the defense was. She laid down instead. Maybe she'd feel better in a few minutes or so. Maybe that voice would stop taunting her for her weakness.

_Of course not..._

She had the sudden realization of why she'd come. To rid herself of Jenova's accusations. Of that voice that had followed her around her entire life. But there was only one way to do that, and that was...

To die and end it at last.

_Father, forgive me, I wasn't strong enough. There was always something separating us. Now I'm afraid, and I don't think I've ever been afraid before._

She rested her head on one of the softer part of the flowerbed. Without a caretaker, a few had begun to wilt. Soon they'd all go, except for a few stronger ones that could bloom without the aid of human hands. "Pretty flowers...." She mumbled idly.

_It hurts... My head, my whole body...it hurts..._

The sudden crackle of footsteps on the broken floor made her lift her head wearily. Why would someone bother to come back to Midgar?

He was taller than her, probably around six feet. He glanced around quietly, not seeing her yet. She squinted, vision slightly blurred. His blonde hair fell over his eyes, but it didn't block them entirely. They glowed, with the brightness of Mako.

For a moment she wondered if the atmosphere had gotten to her and she was seeing ghosts. But she knew him despite this. Military protocol kicked in.

She stumbled to her feet and saluted. "President Shinra."

He was taken aback by the display. "A-at ease." He stammered.

"Sir." She said shortly. She'd lost everything except her training.

"Are you from SOLDIER?" He asked. He didn't recognize her.

"Lieutenant Alita Takaya, of the Fuji-Yama Air Force, ID number 0-4-2-7-F6, sir."

"Well..." He hesitated. Such formality. He'd had no idea Air Force officers were trained so hard. "I don't know where you've been these past few days, but I'm not the president anymore."

"As long as you're still alive, you're still the president, sir."

"No, but-" He shook his head. "Shinra Incorporated does not exist anymore."

"Just because the company is not active doesn't mean-"

"Don't start." He said wearily.

She frowned. "Permission to speak freely, sir?"

"Granted." He sighed, sitting down.

"You are a coward."

"What?!" He exclaimed, jumping up.

"You had such high ideals of ruling the world by your own standards. But then you abandoned us! There were people in that army who would have followed any command you'd give them, followed you to the death, but you left us to fend for ourselves when we could only follow orders. It was better when everyone thought you were dead. At least then I could hate your memory in peace and not have to hurt anyone by it."

_I'm tired of killing._

_The blood on my hands is tainted._

Rufus looked on, expressionless. "So you're saying I should be dead?"

"Yes-" She stopped short, getting a sharp pain in her chest. She coughed, blocking her mouth with her hand, throat hurting.

She stared at the crimson liquid on her hand. Blood. She'd coughed up blood.

Kitana debated to herself whether to go get Tifa. It wasn't like she cared what happened to Alita, she just- well, she didn't wish her dead that was for sure. She hated this too, the feeling of being helpless. Ordinarily, she'd just get up and walk out. But that would risk another embarrassing collapse. She did not wish to be shamed again.

Alita... The girl was an enigma to her, and she did not like to face the things she didn't understand. In the Air Force, especially the Fuji-Yama faction, there was not that much emphasis on hand-to-hand combat or weaponry as there was to discipline, training, and flight tactics. Only a member of SOLDIER or another bounty hunter could have been trained to fight like that. Ye there was something familiar in her stance, her fighting style. She had looked weak, but wielded the sword easily, almost like...

The man in black. She had seen him only once before, but the memory stayed as clear in her mind despite the flow of time.

_There are times too, when her eyes become cold like his, as though robbed of a soul. I almost saw a flicker of fear in her for a moment._

_It's the worst kind of fear, when all one has is the demons inside._

"Tifa!" She shouted, unable to hold back.

The door opened almost immediately, flooding light into the tiny room. "What is it?" Tifa asked pleasantly.

"It was Alita," Kitana motioned around. "She just left!"

"Left? Where would she go?"

"I don't know!" She snapped. "I don't keep tabs on her!"

"Could she have gone back to Midgar?"

"I dunno." Kitana shrugged. "Guess it's possible."

"Then we'll have to look for her." Tifa concluded, already lacing up her glove.

She grinned. "Have fun."

"Oh, but you'll be coming with us, Miss Kenderson." Tifa said, smiling politely, but the look in her eyes said she wouldn't take no for an answer.

"What? ! Why me? And whaddya mean 'us'" She exclaimed, crossing her arms.

"You are coming. And 'us' is myself and Mr. Strife."

"Hey, hey!" Kitana said excitedly. "Cloud Strife too?"

"That's what I said before." Her voice was beginning to reveal her annoyance.

This might prove interesting. He was rumored to be any bounty hunter's equal with a sword. "Okay, let's go!"

_"Yes. And no."_

"What do you mean?" Rufus neared her cautiously.

Alita sat down slowly, and stared at her hands. "Stay back please."

_It's Jenova again... Damn Hojo! It's things like this that are unforgivable._

"Hey! Are you all right?"

_That's right. It's really time for it; you should just give in. You've been wearing thin ever since Meteor._

"I'm-"

_I couldn't forgive, and I could never forget. So that's why I just tried not to remember, never to face things for what they were._

She looked upward in dim acknowledgment.

_It was easier that way. But I can't keep it up anymore._

"I have one request to ask of you, Rufus Shinra." Alita said shakily. "Just one thing, and you owe me that much. I was nothing but a pawn for your company, after all."

_All because of Jenova... And you want it to end, but you won't even let me do it._

He stared. She reached into her back pocket, knowing it was there, although the last time she'd seen it was at the Shinra Headquarters. She flicked up the knife of the switchblade, and held it upwards for him, an offering.

"I want you to kill me."

Tseng Kenji struggled to stand, cursing himself for his weakness. He _had_ to get back to the other Turks, to see a familiar face once more. And Aeris. He wanted to see Aeris once more.

_Just once more..._

Rowan Avine blinked, and looked up to the starlit sky. How long had he been sleeping? He'd only meant it to be for a few minutes, but now it was night... He stretched, and sat up, back aching. He'd forgotten how bright the stars could look on nights like this. He closed his eyes, laying back down. The old childhood rhyme played in his head.

_'Star light, star bright, I wish I may, I wish I might, have this wish I make tonight'_

I wonder, he thought. If someone asked me that just now, how would I answer them?

The distant rumble of a struggling car engine was quickly growing closer. He jumped to his feet. Maybe he could hitchhike.

It pulled near him, as the passenger side window pulled down. A woman with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail peered out. "Where are you headed?" He shouted over the noise of the engine.

She ignored the question. "Did you see a glider pass by here overhead?"

"No ma'am, I haven't." He said earnestly. "But I can help you look if you like."

"You would?" She smiled. "Thank you. It's not any trouble for you, is it?"

"Oh no, not at all." He assured her, climbing into the back of the truck which was already partially occupied by a very sullen faced bounty hunter. "Where are you headed?"

"Midgar."

"I want you to kill me."

"What?!" Rufus shook his head, shocked. "No! I'm not going to kill you! What the hell do you take me for?"

"Why not? With all of Shinra's Mako Reactors and scientific experiments, you were killing. And it was you, and your family who put the orders for those things to be carried out. How is this any different?"

He pushed the switchblade. "I don't want to be responsible for anymore bloodshed. Things are different now."

"Are they?" She said with the faint ghost of a smile. "What have you done to change things, Mr. President?"

"Rufus!" Kasi called, running up the hallway of the small clinic.

Eleanor peeked out from behind the door. "If you don't mind, I'm trying to sleep. So please shut up."

Kasi crossed her arms, indignant, "If you're working at the front desk, aren't you supposed to stay up?"

"No one else is coming in tonight, and I feel I've earned a rest."

Kasi rolled her eyes. She wasn't even going to bother to contest that. "Did Rufus leave again?"

"Like I said, I've been sleeping. I wouldn't know."

"Wonderful..." She sighed, feeling incredibly pissed off. Well, she wasn't leaving. Not this time.

"Go ahead." She said it easily, almost invitingly.

Rufus shook his head immediately. "I can't."

"Of course you can. You don't understand, do you? When Meteor fell, it was supposed to cleanse the Planet of all impurities. Yet I'm still here. Death follows me like a shadow, and sooner or later, I know something terrible will happen, all because of me..." She looked down at the dying flowers. "I should not have been born at all."

Rufus watched, almost sympathetic. It was almost familiar. But he still wasn't going to change his decision. "I won't."

"It's not any different than before. It's no different than what you and your company did."

"Yes, but-" He stopped from sudden realization. "That was before, and I can't change the things that happened in the past. I'm not God. All I can do is try to do things differently from now on."

"Come on," She whispered, closing his fingers around the hilt. "What's one more stain of blood on your hands?"

She dropped her hands from his, and waited. He held it uncertainly, Mako blue eyes flicking back from the blade to her.

"Alita! Alita, are you-" Tifa ran in the chapel, then stopped short in shock. "Oh my Planet..."

Alita paled. "Tifa..."

"Just drop it!" She yelled. "Just drop it, and get away from her!"

"Miss Lockhear-" Rufus started, then stopped abruptly.

"I thought Weapon had taken care of you, but I see I'm going to have to finish this after all."

Alita winced once she realized who had spoken. Rufus was as good as dead already.

"Rufus Shinra." Cloud Strife grinned. "We meet again."

So this was the leader of AVALANCHE. The one who'd felled the mighty Sephiroth. "You're looking well, Strife." Rufus sneered, in obvious sarcasm. In truth, Cloud was looking rather ill. Almost the same as her, Alita thought.

Kitana peered in. "Hey, a fight! I can't wait for the fireworks to start!"

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "Fireworks?"

"Yeah, when they beat the shit out of each other! I'm betting on Cloud."

"........" He turned in the opposite direction, uninterested.

"You don't seem to get it, do you Shinra?" Cloud stepped forward confidently, unsheathing the Ultimate Weapon. "You don't have the guts to go straight to me, but you go to Tifa's friends instead?"

_This is wrong._

Rufus stood, appearing unfazed. He was gripping the switchblade very tightly now. It was his only defense, but Ultimate Weapon could have sliced it in half easily.

"Stop!" Alita yelled weakly.

"Why?" Cloud questioned quietly. "If you don't want to see it, I'll just give him to the bounty hunter to take to BLADE."

To BLADE. Where those that enter do not come out. A fate worse than any quick death Cloud could dish out. Kitana wondered what held her back from capturing him. Rufus was looking at Alita steadily, wondering what sort of excuse she had.

_This is so wrong._

_Wrong of me to ask... wrong for Jenova to use me for her own last request..._

She searched for some sort of reasonable alibi. "I-it was an animal or something. It was about to attack me, and Mr. Shinra was going to finish it off, but Tifa scared it away when she yelled."

By the look on Tifa's face, she'd seen through this right away, but she said nothing, and Alita looked at her gratefully.

_There's too much death here._

Kitana stared wonderingly. "Why'd she do that? Why didn't she let Cloud kick that guy's scrawny little ass?"

Rowan still said nothing. The bounty hunter looked at him closer. He'd come from Midgar too. Four people who'd survived Meteor's onslaught, gathered in one place. But where were the other three?

_ I was wrong. I always am._

Alita looked up, surrounded by flowers. For a moment, she'd looked almost wistful.

_ I wonder..._

_Sometimes I feel like there are two of me._

She felt herself falling.

_One that wishes for happiness and survival. Neither of them are much to ask for._

"Alita?"

_And the other, that is made only to destroy._

Those flowers seemed to rush up to meet her quickly.

"Alita!"

_Why do people go on living even when their futures are already set?_


	12. Chapter 12

**Part Two: Anxious Heart**

**Chapter 12**

_Silence, once again._

_I welcome it. It gives me time to reflect. I've often wondered about many things. Why do people act the way they do? What drives humans to hurt one another?_

_I should know by know, so I consider myself a weak student to life's lessons. Death just seems to follow me._

_Maybe that's why I wanted to help him. That look of grim determination, a flicker of light in those cold blue Mako eyes. It reminded me of something I'd lost in myself a long time ago._

_ It's funny what things are left hidden in the depths of heart._

"Hmm..." Maire tapped the edge of her desk with a pen, thinking. This was no doubt an odd situation to be in, even for her. AVALANCHE, and the two others with them, the bounty hunter and the stoic artisan were cloistered at one end of the building. At the other end were the Shinra, Rufus, Reeve, and Kasumi, who was staying by them, albeit reluctantly. Interesting. Granted, setting aside one's differences was difficult, but this..?

At least Eleanor was working. The presence of several young men in the building was enough to make her want to prove her competency. She stepped away from her desk and into the hall, glancing into one of the patient's rooms. Alita. The doctor had no idea what had happened back at Midgar. Cloud said Rufus was trying to murder the girl, while Rufus claimed he was attempting to dispose of an animal behind her. Both stories had their flaws. If Alita were conscious, she could have verified which one was true, but she lay unconscious, showing no sign of her status changing.

I wonder, she thought, looking her over. What thoughts run through that girl's head?

The urgent ringing of the bell at the front desk called her attention to other matters. "Eleanor, keep an eye on the monitors." She said absently, starting to walk out.

"Yeah, but-" the she glanced back at the monitor. "Nothing. Just thought I saw a fluctuation."

"There wouldn't be a fluctuation."

"Why? You know what's wrong with her?" She asked curiously.

"No." Maire admitted, then wondered why she regretted it. It wasn't incompetence, she simply didn't see what the problem was exactly. She hadn't had the time to figure it out yet, or the help, since about half of her staff had walked out on her when Rufus Shinra came in and probably wouldn't be back until he left. Soon enough she would have it puzzled out.

"Hmmmmmm......." Eleanor was looking the pilot over pensively. "Ya know, it sounds stupid, but she sort of looks like Sephiroth. But not quite, if you know what I mean."

Maire turned, surprised at the girl's sudden burst of thoughtfulness. "You know that's very true. I hadn't noticed that before."

The bell rang again and she broke into a run. She shouldn't have stopped to listen to her childish musings. She stopped short at the front desk, attempting to catch her breath. "How may I help you?"

There were two of them there, but it was obvious which one was intended as the patient. The first she recognized as the innkeeper at Kalm. The second barely standing. He was Wutain, and wore a badly torn blue suit, backed by long, raven colored hair. A Turk, she though, somewhat annoyed. Was she holding a Shinra Incorporated reunion here? This was getting to be a bit much.

The innkeeper, noticing her expression, was almost apologetic. "Sorry to disturb you doc, but he collapsed, and I thought it would be best to bring him to you."

She nodded briskly. "What seems to be the situation?"

The innkeeper continued on as though the man were not present. "He came from Midgar a little bit after Meteor. Some artisan left him at my inn and told me to give him a room. Paid for him and everything."

Another Midgar survivor? That meant there were seven altogether. She was fairly sure it had been Rowan who'd dropped him off there. "He fell down last night while he was trying to leave. Dunno where he was headed to, but he ain't been well lately."

The man coughed, obviously annoyed. "I can speak for myself."

The innkeeper flushed. Maire ignored it. "Your name, sir?"

"Tseng Kenji."

She wondered why that sounded familiar. "Do you have any weapons on you?"

He pulled back his jacket, revealing a handgun in the holster at his waist. Once a Turk, always a Turk.

"I'd prefer you'd leave that here." It was her policy, and she kept to it, although it had certainly been difficult to get the bounty hunter to give up her vast amount of weapons.

He nodded, unstrapped it, and handed it to her while it was still in the holster. She put it in one of the desk's empty draws and locked it. "Would you like a wheelchair or anything?"

"I can walk." he said, somewhat disgusted.

"Of course," She said courteously, then nodded to the innkeeper. "Thank you, we're all set now."

Tseng nodded shortly as he left, in a small show of acknowledgment. She smiled slightly. He was about as talkative as Rowan. Then again, Turks were not exactly known for being chatty. This prompted a small chuckle. "Well... I think you'll find yourself quite at home here."

He sent her a bored look, apparently doubtful. "And why is that?"

"There are quite a few people from the Shinra company here. No Turks though, I'm afraid."

It didn't seem to surprise him, or at least he did a good job of concealing it. "Really? Like who?" She hesitated. "Are you worried I'll tell someone else they're here? I'm not that kind of man. Besides, if we're in the same building, I'm sure we'll meet up." He added. "I haven't any grudges against Shinra Incorporated."

"President Rufus Shinra is here, and Reeve Darien, former department head of urban development, an ex-SOLDIER, a Fuji Yama pilot, and yourself, sir."

"Quite a group." He seemed unfazed. "You said ex-SOLDIER? Not Cloud Strife, is it?"

She was beginning to regret she'd started this. "It is Cloud, and Miss Lockheart from AVALANCHE is accompanying him."

"Oh." Was that disappointment lingering in his eyes?

"Well, um..." She coughed, embarrassed. "Follow me please. I'm afraid we have quite a few other people her right now, and we're short staffed. Is it an emergency? Do you need to be seen right away?"

"I can wait."

"That's good." She said, almost relieved. She peeked into Alita's room where Eleanor was avidly watching the monitors still. "Everything all right?"

"The same as it always is." Eleanor sighed. "I've got no clue why she's not waking up."

Tseng looked over the sleeping girl thoughtfully. There was something about that angular face that looked vaguely familiar. "Aeris..." He murmured.

"Mmm?" Maire looked up. "You said something?"

"Nothing." He said quickly. "She just looks a bit like a friend of mine. Her name is Aeris." He added casually.

"That's funny. I was saying she looked more like Sephiroth." Eleanor commented.

Something seemed to flash angrily in his eyes at the mention of Sephiroth. "Yes, perhaps she does a little bit."

"Tell me if something comes up." Maire told Eleanor, then turned back to Tseng. "If you go and wait in the room on the left, another doctor will be in with you shortly."

He raised an eyebrow. "Another?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, I've other business and patients to attend to right now."

"Mr. Strife's getting impatient. He wants to hear the results of his tests." Eleanor said, only mildly concerned.

"Yes." Maire nodded shortly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kenji."

He waved it aside. "I'll be all right."

"Want me to keep an eye on him?" Eleanor offered after he'd left.

"It's not necessary. Just watch the monitors."

Eleanor crossed her arms, disappointed. Maire shrugged, and left the girl. She didn't wish to stick around and watch her sulk, and Cloud Strife was probably not accustomed to having to wait.

However, when she found him, he was waiting patiently. Kasi was broadly stretched across one of the waiting room's couches, lazily holding the remote control and channel surfing. Tifa glanced up anxiously. Cloud didn't seem to notice. "Mr. Strife?"

He looked up. "How's Alita?"

Maire smiled slightly. "What about yourself, Mr. Strife?"

He shrugged. "She's Tifa's friend. I'd just like to know."

"But Cloud..." Tifa stated softly.

Kasi looked up from the T.V. "Should I go?"

"You can stay." Cloud said absently. "So what is it, doctor?"

"As best as I can sat, your illness is caused by Jenova. Some or all of the cells within you are dying." She looked him over. He seemed all right, so she continued on with her diagnosis. "You told me that you fought Jenova-Synthesis in North Crater. It is most likely dying in there still. Without Jenova, the cells die as well, which is resulting in the physical trauma within you."

"Well, um, are there any side effects?" Tifa asked nervously.

"None, I would expect. Aside from fatigue and a slight fever, but those should be gone in a few days, a week at the most."

"And Alita?" Cloud prompted.

"Her condition remains a mystery to me." Maire said reluctantly. "It looks like Jenova, but there's other cells within her that look completely foreign to me. It's not Mako either. I can't place it. You said she was not in SOLDIER, Tifa?"

"Yes," She nodded. "She told me she was from the Fuji-Yama faction of the Air Force."

"The Air Force was the first lady's pet project." Cloud explained. "Vince Shinra never intruded on that even after she was killed, so even though they took commands from Shinra Incorporated, he never subjected them to experiments like SOLDIER. They never really needed to in any case. They didn't need the added strength from Mako or Jenova to fly a jet."

"I'm still stumped. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was almost like suspended animation." She shook her head. "No, that's impossible. It could be Materia. The Contain Materia could do something like this. Does Mr. Shinra have any Materia on him?"

"It's possible, but I couldn't see him doing this. Rufus rarely does anything unless there's something in it for him." Cloud said thoughtfully. "Unless he's taken to killing out of cold blood..."

"He doesn't have any Materia." Kasi spoke up. "And I don't think he'd do that."

Cloud turned towards the child. "And what makes you say that?"

"When me and Reeve found him, he wasn't carrying Materia. There's only curative Materia here in the clinic, so he couldn't have taken it from here. He hasn't been to any towns, and Contain isn't commonly sold in stores around here. So Rufus couldn't have done anything to Alita." Kasi concluded.

"Can I ask what sort of lie he fed you to get you to believe that?"

"No lies. He's barely spoken to me. I go by what I see and hear for myself. Not by what someone else has told me." She turned back to the T.V. Tifa smiled at her. Cloud ignored it.

"You know, if this weren't such a bizarre situation, I would have called the police a long time ago." Maire said, shaking her head.

"Rufus wouldn't sit for police questioning."

"Yeah, because they'd kill him first!" Kasi said, her voice revealing anger mixed with alarm. "You can't do that!"

"And why not?"

"The Shinra company did some pretty bad stuff, I'm not denying it. But to kill him, or let someone else do it for you, wouldn't that just put you on the same level as them?" She turned back to the T.V. and continued flipping through channels. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not accusing you of anything. I mean, you guys stopped Sephiroth and from what I heard, Shinra didn't do a darn thing to help with that. And seeing as everyone here's reasonable, fair-minded adults, I'm sure we can resolve this without having to call in the cops or resorting to violence." She stopped the channel at a news station. "My mom used to say the same thing when me and my brother were fighting or something. I'm pretty sure it still works."

"You have a brother, Kasi?" Tifa asked gently.

She had begun turning the volume up a notch. "I used to."

"I'm sorry." She shrugged and went back to watching the news.

"Do you think I should talk to him?" Cloud asked. "We may be able to get him to tell us something helpful."

"I could go instead." Kasi piped up. "He'd be more apt to talk to me than you guys. No offense."

"None taken." Cloud said, smiling slightly. "That's a good idea. You should do that."

"Okay!" She said brightly, wondering how in the world she was supposed to pull this off.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Kasi stood outside the door. God, she was nervous, although she wasn't entirely sure why. Rufus wasn't about to hurt her, unless she really pissed him off... Nah, she shook her head. That wasn't likely. Why was she doing this, anywise? She must annoy him with the way she was always following him around. She didn't even know him that well. What kind of a president had he been? It didn't sound like a very good one. She'd have to ask Reeve about that later.

She sighed. Cloud had asked, and she didn't feel like disappointing him. No time like the present, then. She raised her hand and knocked on the door. A reluctant "Come in" followed it.

She opened the door. He was lying face-up on his bed, watching the news, face expressionless. "Mr. Shinra, you look exhausted."

He sighed, annoyed once again. "What do you want, Kasi?"

She feigned cheerfulness. "Here." She thrust out the can of soda she'd been carrying as a peace offering. "I got you a drink."

He waved it aside. "Just put it on the table."

She set it down, then sat in one of the chairs opposite him. He didn't give her a second glance. She shifted nervously in her seat. "So, umm.... How's it going?" He stared at her, then burst out laughing mirthlessly. "Hey! What's so funny?" Kasi exclaimed.

He sat up. "You asked me how it's going. That question is redundant."

"I'm gonna have to look that one up in a dictionary."

"Well, let's put it this way." He said, sounding bored. "How do _you_ think it's going, Kasi?"

"Umm.... Badly?"

"Well said." He commented dryly.

"Come on! You didn't even do anything wrong, I know you didn't hurt her! Why are you being like this?"

"You wouldn't understand." Rufus said shortly.

"What happened back there, Rufus?" She said quietly.

"I shouldn't say. It's not really of your concern, either."

"You shouldn't do that! If you're not going to say anything, then you're going to take all of the blame. I wouldn't put it past Cloud; he's not exactly fond of you. But if it's not your fault, then you shouldn't take the fall for it." Kasi said quickly. "I mean, I really don't want to see that happen to you."

He seemed to smile, although it was difficult to tell. "I'm currently a scapegoat for many things besides this. One more crime on my hands will not make a difference. In any case, you're only here for my confession, which I'm not going to give." His voice turned steely. "Tell that to Cloud, seeing as he is the one who sent you."

"That's not fair!" She exclaimed, then quickly quieted herself. "It's not entirely because of that. I don't care about your confession, and even if you had one, it wouldn't matter to me. You've been as nice to me as you could, and I'm not going to forget it. Did it occur to you that I might be worried about you, or are you just looking for an ulterior motive?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry. You seemed so depressed. I wanted to cheer you up, but I guess it didn't work."

"I can take care of myself. I learned how to a long time ago. You shouldn't worry about me."

"Yeah, but no one can get through life without depending on something. What about your family-"

"I do hope you're joking."

"I know you don't like your dad, but what happened to you mom?"

"You really want to know, don't you?" He said coldly. "Fine. Both my brother and my mother were killed during the Midgar/Wutai war when I was seven."

"Your brother?" She repeated. "Tifa was just asking me about mine...What happened?"

_...Aleksander..._

"He was sixteen years older than me, so I never saw too much of him. He was always with the old man, trying to become vice-president, but he was always kind to me, despite of father's influence. It was he who was intended to become president of Shinra Incorporated. I was never supposed to be here. "

"But-"

"He was kidnapped and murdered by Wutain spies while attempting to negotiate a peace treaty. They never bothered to send a body back. _That_ is what happened to my brother, Kasi. As for my mother-" He faltered for a moment.

_.... a slipknot in the rope hung from the chandelier...._

"I'd rather not talk about this." Rufus said, brushing the topic aside. "Could we change the subject?"

"It's okay." She said softly. "I...uh- I'm sorry. I'll go if you want me too."

"That would be nice." He said, somewhat relieved. "Oh, and thanks for the soda."

"You're welcome. And you know," She smiled "At least things can't get any worse."

He nodded as she left, then laughed inwardly at her innocence.

_Things can always get worse._

She had the feeling of one drowning. She'd lost track of how much time had passed since then, it had all run together and lost it's meaning. All the better for her. It provided ample time to think. For a moment she'd wonder if what she'd asked for had been fulfilled, then desperately hoped it hadn't.

At least it didn't bother her now. No one called for her death anymore. The voice known as Jenova... She'd been able to resist it before, but she had already been sufficiently injured by Meteor. It was easier for it to take control then. Well...never again. She wouldn't be so weak anymore. It was silent once more. That every present hum interrupted by an occasional low moans or scream, that was quieted along with Jenova.

This was the peace she'd wanted. Ever since she was small, once she'd realized how different she really was. She'd only mentioned it to her father once or twice, and he either told her to hush or that it was nothing. He was everything, and she didn't want him to go like the others, so she never said it again. But in the end, he had gone too, now just another traveling soul in the Lifestream, forgotten by all but a few.

_Alita...That's not even my real name..._

_I am nameless, created only to be the Perfect Soldier._

He would not be proud of her today; she was certain of that much. Those things that earned her the moniker 'Angel of Death', there was too much that could not be forgiven. But now there was a great sense of urgency that meant it was imperative for her to stay alive. Something was coming undone, and something had been left unfinished.

Although...she was not exactly sure what it was.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

_The blonde young man was back again. He'd come often before, and it was a break from staring at the laboratory equipment that normally surrounded her. He was friendly looking from a child's perspectives. "Hi there." He murmured, looking as though he did not want to be overheard. She stuck her tongue out and grinned._

_She looked closer. He was doing something to the lock. It gave a satisfying click as he withdrew. "Lean against the door," He urged. "It should open."_

_"Mr. Shinra, what are you doing?"_

_She backed to the edge of her cell instinctively. It was that man again. She both hated and feared him vehemently. Every single time he came, something had to happen. She wondered why she hadn't gotten used to this routine yet. At least with Sis around, she could bear it, but Sis and Mommy had gone. They could be in another lab, but she wasn't certain they'd be coming back._

_The young man coolly leaned against the wall. "You called, Professor?"_

_The man frowned, although his eyes gave away a flash of hatred. "Shouldn't you be with your father?"_

_"He dismissed me for the day."_

_The man drummed his fingers on his desk impatiently. "Then may I ask why you've decided to come down to my laboratory?"_

_"I was looking for Rufus."_

_A lie, and both she and the man saw through it easily. "A toddler would not be down here, Aleksander. Now what is your fascination with disturbing my specimens?"_

_"Specimens? Not people?" He said in disgust. "You're a sick man, Hojo." _

_"It is purely in the name of science. You're just too young to see the importance of it-"_

_"I'm not too young to see that you are torturing people in these twisted experiments. You've killed Gast, violated his widow, and ruined innocent lives. This is not science. My father may try to justify it, but I prefer not to listen to his excuses."_

_ "Excuses?" The man snickered. "I need no such defense for my work. It's for scientific benefit, and your company's pocketbook as well."_

_"Don't remind me." He brushed a piece of hair aside. "When I become president, I'll be sure to do away with these foolish money-making schemes, especially the Jenova Project and come up with something worthwhile. I'll make it so you can never practice as a scientist again. You will be a ruined man, Hojo."_

_"Will I?" He snickered. "You are still just a child. You really don't know how easy it would be for me to make sure that none of your plans come to pass."_

_"You wouldn't dare. You're too afraid of my father. Everyone is."_

_"It would be quite easy, actually. Someday, when you're older, once you've forgotten all of this..." He let that hang in the air for a moment, then continued. "It's easy to order a hit, an assassin, or even the Turks if you pay enough for their silence. When you're someplace where your daddy can't protect you...That's when it will happen."_

_The younger man didn't seem worried. "Brave words, Hojo. But they're only words. You're too much of a coward to follow through with any of them. Behind that lab coat, you're just a sniveling little worm."_

_"Am I?" He chucked, walking in the opposite direction, towards the offices. "You just wait and see, Aleksander. Now you said you were looking for your brother? He's with your mother right now. I'll take you there."_

_"I don't need an escort. "He cast a sideways glance at the cell he'd just unlocked. The man had not noticed yet. "Fine. Take me there."_

_They were walking away. She wondered if she should try it. Every time she'd tried before, it never worked. But maybe this time... The young man had looked nice; he didn't mean any harm. But Mom and Sis...They were gone. They may have left already; it had been too long for them to be in another laboratory. But...why would they leave without her?_

_ She'd have to go and look. She'd never been outside this one floor, but there had to be something else in this place other than this. She threw herself against the door. It swung open easily, and she fell to the floor as it gave way. She stumbled to her feet. It had been so long since she'd last walked around. It must be late, there didn't seem to be as many scientist around now. There were no windows in this place for her to judge what time it was. She ran awkwardly, to the stairwell designated with a large number 67. There was no place to go but down._

It was dark here. It wasn't the chapel, and the realization jolted her into consciousness. A hospital room, though it wasn't one she recognized. Not that lab of long ago.

Lab? There was no lab, was there? It was a trick of the mind, a wispy memory of some made up place. It was not true. Meteor had begun to affect her mind. She wondered how long it would be before she went completely insane. Maybe that had already come.

Tifa must have left. She and Cloud had gone a long while ago. It was to be expected. All those who had come in contact with her had ended up in the grave. Then what of the President? Or rather, the former President of Shinra. Had he been arrested or killed? It was one more stain of blood on her hands; it did not make a difference. He wouldn't be missed; she had killed a dead man. She was the only one who would regret it. One to regret, but none to mourn.

There was no reason to stay. There was nowhere else to go but Junon. Her father had trained there at the Academy in his younger days. General Frade was the first female cadet to start there, and she'd come a long way from that after gaining the president's favor through her leadership skills. She'd be back with her fellow pilots as well, although it was a certainty that it would not be a warm welcome with them. Then again, it would be cowardly to leave without giving her apologies to Tifa. She owed at least that much.

She wouldn't still be there. Not a chance in hell of that, Alita thought tiredly. They might still be nearby, though. Transportation was limited; they had to be close by. She got to her feet. The lightheadedness had momentarily subsided. Perhaps it would stay that way. She opened the door and peered out. The halls were darkened with only a dim light emanating from the nurses' station. The only sounds were the steady beep from the monitors and the even breathing of one sleeping. They weren't there. It wasn't as though she'd expected it.

The ground seemed to take a sudden lurch forward. Dizzy.... It was spinning again, although at least it wasn't painful this time. But dammit, I never even made it to the door, she thought angrily as it slipped into that darkness once again.

Rufus jerked into consciousness. A noise... "Damn..." He muttered, running a hand through his hair absently. Had Kenderson come to take him off to BLADE in the middle of the night, or had Cloud finally decided to finish what they'd started at the top of the Headquarters? He was tired of all this meaningless fighting, but he wasn't going to sit around and let himself be killed. His hand went for where his shotgun would normally be, at his waist, then remembered that it was long gone, back at the Shinra Headquarters. No matter, he could hold out on his own.

He opened the door and stepped out into the hallway tentatively, glancing in both directions, then proceeded cautiously. No one there, although there were plenty of darkened corners for someone to hide in. He started to take another step, but stopped himself just before he stepped on the prone form fallen on the floor.

It was Alita. He got down to her level, and looked her over. She seemed all right, as best as he could tell. Unconscious, but still breathing. She looked almost like that Ancient he'd seen with AVALANCHE at the top of the HQ. He still remembered how she had introduced herself as "a flower girl from the slums". Well, this one was certainly not a shy flower girl. This was Captain Takaya's daughter, one who'd shot down an estimated fifty planes while under the banner of Shinra Incorporated. Not one to be trifled with.

Or perhaps not...

She blinked several times. Things were not coming into focus. That light was too bright...or two lights, really... Blue Mako eyes... She was still dreaming, in that dark space.

They were gripping her arm sharply. "Wake up." This was no dream.

An order. Obediently, she followed, and tried to focus. It was clearer now. Enough to see that the man with the Mako eyes was Rufus Shinra.

"So you are awake." He said softly, but his grip didn't loosen.

"Do you think I'm going to try to run away, Shinra?" She said hoarsely. "Even I'm not so foolish to try that. You can let of me now."

"I'm not so quick to trust anyone, much less you." To further that, his grip tightened. She didn't wince, although he was stronger than he had looked. "Seeing as we're both not going anywhere, I'd like to ask you a few things."

"It's not as though I have a choice..."

"No." He finished for her. "I've waited a while for this.

She tried to speak, but it ended up as a coughing fit. She gasped for breath. He pulled her into a sitting position roughly. "Better now?" She nodded. "Good."

She caught her breath. "My apologies, Mr. Shinra. And my condolences on the loss of your company."

"I'll get the company back." He said this plainly; it was a fact.

"Of course." She said quietly.

His expression was unreadable. She couldn't tell whether she'd angered him or not. It was obviously a lie; Shinra Incorporated would never be rebuilt.

"...Assuming you still remember what went on back there..."

"I do."

"Fine then." He sighed. "Why?"

"Don't ask." She said wearily. "Don't ask, because I don't have an answer yet."

"Fair enough. I was only curious. Even if I knew, it's not like I'd tell it to Strife."

"I suppose I should thank you for that." She said coolly.

"Don't bother. It has nothing to do with you. I just don't want to give Cloud the satisfaction of hearing my confession."

"I'm sorry. That's all there is to say."

"What do you have to be sorry about? It doesn't matter to me whether you can't bring yourself to take your life, just don't ask me to do it next time." He said sharply.

She held up a hand, stopping him. "We both should be dead. You know that as well as I do."

That didn't shake him. "Because we're both murderers?"

She nodded. "But we're still both here."

He smiled sardonically. "Maybe this is just the Planet's way of punishing us."

"Or another chance."

He shrugged. "Does it really matter?"

She stood up. Whatever had made her fall earlier was gone once again. "It's late-"

"Fine. You're okay now?" He asked, although it was not out of concern.

"Yes. Thank you for your kindness."

"It doesn't matter."

"I know." She agreed. "But still..."

He nodded, and left back to his room as quickly as he'd come, leaving her alone in the middle of the hallway. So who had she been talking to? Was it a hated enemy, or a friend?

It didn't even matter.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Morning again. Lately Alita was beginning to hate the sight of it. Another day of uncertainty, of weakness. She hated her own inabilities, that's what it really was. She never could help anyone well enough.

The thought of getting up wasn't very appealing. There was a crowd of people out there waiting for her confession, an admission of her weaknesses. She'd either be treated as a freak or a wonder of modern medical science. They really were the same things. Either way, you got poked and prodded often. They would all ask her what happened, and she didn't want to think about that.

_Jenova...and mother, and a sister..._

_But I don't have a mother and a sister. I'd hoped when I was small that I would get one or the other, but that was just a childhood fantasy. Father never remarried. He told me one marriage was enough for him. And he never lied..._

_It was that Hojo. He lied._

But I don't know anyone named Hojo, she thought irritably. I've never been to that area of the Shinra HQ, and most certainly never met the President's firstborn son. She'd been wracking her brain all morning to figure out where she had gotten that dream from. It must from a television show, a movie, perhaps. Something from a long time ago.

_It's easier to say it was a dream and not a memory, isn't it?_

At the moment, she had no idea of what to do. There was always the option of sneaking out the window, but that would be cowardly. Behavior not fitting for a member of Fuji-Yama. She would stay and try to go on gracefully. Father had told her as much, and she owed them all an explanation, as unpleasant as the thought was.

Someone was knocking on the door. She wondered if she should answer it yet. It was fairly peaceful in here. "Alita? Are you up?"

Tifa. So she hadn't left yet. "Yes?"

"I left you a change of clothes on the chair. Tell me if it fits, all right?"

"Okay." She got out of bed, her limbs aching. So now she would have to take off her uniform. It was torn and dirty to the extent that it could be called filthy, but it was part of her, and now it was gone.

_Bad memories. You should be glad to be rid of it._

She gingerly took it off and laid it down on the bed. Perhaps it could be salvaged. She struggled into the clothes Tifa had brought her. The tank top and jeans combo was not something she would have chosen for herself. She didn't really like showing anything close to her figure, and this was a little tight. She should be so picky. It was kind of Tifa to bring her anything at all. "It fits, Tifa. Thank you."

"May I come in?"

"I guess..."

Tifa opened the door and looked her over. She was smiling, but Alita was sure she'd done a double take at her mournful appearance. "You look good."

"Bull shit." Alita grinned. "I look like a sorry, sick, wreck, and you know it."

"Well, it's certainly an improvement from before. You looked really ill back at the chapel. I'm glad you're up and about now."

"I was feeling bad earlier and-"

"But it wasn't because of an animal that Rufus had your knife, was it?" Tifa said quite clearly.

Alita turned, shocked. Tifa was looking her steadily in the eyes. "What?"

"I'd thought that if an animal were about to attack, it would have taken you some time to hand your weapon over to him. By that time it would have struck already." Tifa looked hat her warily, continuing. "Also, it seems unusual that someone who had been in the military would rely on someone else to do her own work."

Alita chucked, knowingly. "You're a smart woman, Tifa. I knew you saw right through that ruse."

"I saw that you gave the knife to him. But why?" She asked quietly.

"I-I don't know right now." She paused. "I need to think things out for a while. That would be the best thing to do." She was beginning to wonder if she'd ever know the answer for herself. "But why do you care, anyway? It would have been easier for you if you'd left a long time ago. Go back to Avalanche, or something like that."

"Well...you're my friend, and I care about you-" Alita saw the pity in her eyes and hated it. Tifa turned quickly. "But really, AVALANCHE had gone their separate ways. Yuffie Kisaragi went back to her home in Wutai with some of our Materia. Cloud kept some of the better ones for the rest of us," She said smiling. "Barrett's gone back to his daughter in Kalm and Red XIII has returned to Cosmo Canyon to act as an elder. Reeve's deactivated Cait Sith. Vincent Valentine was with us earlier when we went to look for survivors in Midgar, but he left afterwards, and I haven't seen him since. Cid Highwind gone to Junon already."

There had been one more... She had been certain that she'd seen one more member back on the news in Midgar. "I think I should be going to Junon as well. I don't enjoy being a burden to you. There was a disturbance with the Planet after Sephiroth. I need to find out-" She stopped herself, realizing how utterly stupid she sounded. "Forget it. I'm not making any sense. I just...I want to go back to Junon."

Tifa smiled sadly. "I wish you wouldn't be so serious all the time."

She shrugged. "Perkiness doesn't suit me."

"You know," She sat on the edge of the bed, avoiding the ends of the filthy uniform. "It's silly, but you kind of remind me of a friend of mine. You both talk of the future often. But your personalities are much different. She was almost always cheerful. I'm sorry, I know it's strange, but you do kind of remind me of Aeris."

"Aeris?" Alita repeated. For a moment that pain in her chest was back, sharp as before, then subsided as quickly as it came. Maybe she had imagined it.

"Aeris Gainsborough. Sephiroth killed her," Tifa said darkly, remembering. "But I'd say we got him back."

She laughed softly to herself. "Revenge is sweet, eh?"

"He killed her. He tried to destroy us all. I would say that he got what was coming to him."

"Yes..." His mind was led astray, she thought. But Tifa would never accept that as an excuse. "Never mind that. What should we do about my old uniform here?"

"Burn it." Tifa said bitterly.

"I should have expected you to say that. It does stand for the Shinra regime." She touched the sleeve lightly. It was so reminiscent. "You know, I'd always thought this uniform was lucky."

"Really? Why is that?"

"After my father died, I was issued my first promotion as a private and they issued me a new uniform. It was the holiday season, and the Academy was empty. Even the headmaster had gone home. People went to the top plate or the slums, but they never stayed at the school then. So I tried it on and went off campus for a little while to wander around and generally feel sorry for myself."

She could see that place now, the way the snow fell on the plate softly. It had been right after the Midgar/Wutai war had ended too. Everyone was joyful, the soldiers were all returning home. The casualties from before were momentarily forgotten by all but a few. "There was a man from SOLDIER outside. He was holding a little black puppy. He just gave it to me, told me to have a merry Christmas and give his regards to my father. I didn't have the time to tell him that my father was dead before he left. I don't remember him very much and he didn't tell me his name. All I can picture are those bright green Mako eyes. Even though I was young, I remember thinking that it was a good sign. But of course, I'm old enough to see now that it just stands for Shinra's corruption."

"Well...I guess you don't have to throw it out, although I don't see why it's worth keeping-"

"The general's using the Fuji-Yama jets to keep the peace in Junon. I might rejoin the air force there."

"You know the general?" Tifa asked.

"Only slightly," She said with a smile remembering the charismatic officer.

"Reeve mentioned that Ruf-ah, Mr. Shinra knew her very well. I suppose he will be going there next. I don't know what he'll be able to do. Everyone considers him to be dead, but I don't think anyone can talk him out of it." She shook her head. "The others are waiting. We should go out and discuss things if we want to go anywhere."

"Of course." She let Tifa go and open the door. They walked out together.

"Aw, Reeve, why'd you have to wake me up so early?" Kasi whined. Kitana watched the scene, amused. Kids. She was wearing a nightshirt that looked suspiciously like one of Reeve's. Kitana couldn't remember ever being innocent enough to wear a man's shirt without any prior activities. It was kind of cute the way she hadn't learned the ways of the world yet. There wasn't any need to tell her, she'd learn it all eventually. Her life had been bad before. It was nice to see her happy despite it.

"I already let you sleep later than you should have." Reeve was beginning to sound annoyed. "And is that gum you're chewing?"

The small bubble she was blowing quickly deflated. "Maybe just a little..."

"Please don't. You're starting to remind me of Eleanor."

"Ah- sorry." She spat it out into a tissue, much to the disgust of the viewers. "Umm, you know, why are we all getting together like this? You'd think people would want Cloud and Rufus to stay apart."

"It is to discuss certain things pertaining to Shinra Incorporated, as well as our next destination."

They looked up. Rowan Avine was leaning against the wall in the corner, partially hidden in the shadows of the unlit room. It was probably the longest sentence he'd spoken since he'd arrived there.

"How long have you been there, Mr. Avine?" Kasi asked shyly. She'd never really talked with him before, and she wasn't all that good with new people. He sighed, and turned away. "Well...that's um, nice." She said nervously. "It's good to see you again.

A door opened further down the hall, interrupting their awkward conversation. Cloud had exited and sat down on the edge of the couch. "Good morning."

"Hello Mr. Strife!" Kasi said cheerfully, glad to have a distraction. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well enough, thanks." He looked around at the group. "Almost everyone's here. Where are Tifa and Alita?"

"Forgot about me, didn't you Strife? Well, not that I blame you." Rufus grinned darkly, stepping into the room.

"I hope you'll wake up on time from now on, Shinra." Cloud said coldly.

Rufus leaned against the wall nonchalantly and crossed his arms. "I didn't ask to be put into this position, so you can stop assuming-"

"Aw, come on. I hate fighting. Look I saved you some of the donuts." Kasi smiled and motioned to the half-filled box from a bakery in Kalm, a small peace offering. "We have cream filled, sprinkles, chocolate covered, and this weird looking one... I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I'm sure it's...good..."

"I don't eat donuts." Rufus said with an air of aristocratic disdain. Cloud shook his head.

"I'll take the weird one if you don't mind!" Kitana lunged across the table and grabbed it, immediately taking a huge bite. "It's pretty good. I think it's got marshmallow in it or something. Not bad."

Another door opened slowly down the hall. Reeve's mouth practically dropped once he'd seen who exited and Rufus barely managed to conceal his own shock. "Tseng..."

The Turk walked to them slowly, trying to conceal his limp. "Sir."

"Tseng..?" Rufus shook her head. It was impossible; there was no way he could have survived... "But- we heard that Sephiroth..."

"And how in god's name did you manage to make it back here?!" Reeve sputtered.

"For another time," He said, eyeing the other people watching him curiously. "I don't believe we've met."

"Hi! My name's Kasi Lewis, she's Kitana, he's Cloud, I think you guys know each other already though. Oh, and the guy in the corner's Rowan Avine."

"Rowan Avine?" He repeated. He'd heard that name before.

"...hello." The artisan finally said.

"I'm afraid I owe you a great deal. Thank you. I'll pay you back. I promise."

Rowan looked up slightly, taking interest. "...you're a Turk?"

"I was."

"Hmph." His expression was unreadable. "Well then... I owe you, sir. You needn't pay me. In fact," He chuckled to himself. "I'm in your debt."

"I'm not sure I understand-"

"Very few do."

"Pretty damn cryptic, if you ask me, which you haven't." Kitana declared, still chewing on the remainder of the donut. "Try to make a little sense when you're talking, okay?"

"..." Rowan retreated back into silence. Kitana watched him closely, chewing thoughtfully.

At the sound of approaching footsteps Cloud looked up. He was visibly relieved to see Tifa. "Good morning everyone!"

Kasi was still perpetually cheerful. "Hi Tifa! Hello Miss Alita!"

Alita nodded curtly, surveying the group. The Shinra and Avalanche people had separated to opposite sides of the room, with Maire and Eleanor peeking in through a partially open door. "Hello."

"Howdy." Kitana leaned back and put her feet up on the table. "So...we're going to Junon, right? I need to get outta here"

"It would be the next best place to go. I believe we've warmed out our welcome here," Reeve said with an apologetic backward glance to Maire.

"I agree. But-" Cloud said, eyeing Rufus suspiciously. "That all depends on what some of us are planning to do once we get there."

Rufus brushed a piece of hair out of his eyes arrogantly. "I have business to take care of there."

"What kind of business?" Cloud demanded. "Your company is finished, Shinra. You may as well forget about it, because I'll be damned if I let you get away with restarting it."

Rufus eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're presuming to tell me what to do?"

"If we're planning to go to Junon, it may be good for you to stop arguing for a few moments, boys." Alita started, annoyed. This was a waste of her time. "Let's get down to business, shall we?" She put her hands behind her back, waiting. "Who here knows the layout of Junon?"

"I do." Rowan said softly. "Completely."

"I've been there a few time," Cloud offered.

Rufus scoffed. "I know how to get around there."

"Good. I don't know it very well myself, so I'm not of much help with that. I only saw it from above in a few training missions. But I know that it must be difficult to get in, if the general has the city under martial law. Any ideas?"

"It's heavily armed even in peace time." Tseng muttered. "Most of the buildings are patrolled by soldiers with sniper rifles and there may be jets flying overhead. The slums would be guarded now too, so bribing the guard may not be an option."

"Bribing...the guard?" Rufus said slowly, just getting it.

"Perhaps you should have paid them a little better, Mr. Shinra." Cloud said lightly, but didn't give him time to issue a retort. "It's beginning to seem impossible, but I still think there's some way we can get in."

"Has anyone seen those old timey prison movies, where one guy gets sick and the guard comes in, and then some other guy knocks the guard out? We could do that, kinda." Kitana said lazily then added quickly, seeing Kasi's indignant expression. "But, I mean, I know that doesn't work. I just meant that we could have a big distraction in general."

"A distraction?" Alita repeated thoughtfully. "Tifa, is my Mehaev all right?"

"It is, but-"

"I think we may be able to work something out. I'll fly overhead with my glider. They should be able to let me in since I'm a member of the Air Force, and then I'll tell them to open the gate for the rest of you. Either that will happen, or the guards will let the guard on the gate down to focus on the intruder overhead."

"That's stupid." Kasi said plainly. "You'll be killed in two seconds."

"I didn't mean for you to actually try it," Kitana laughed. "Ten gil says the guards get her when she's above the gate. Twenty if they get her will she's still in the slums."

"Have a little faith." Alita said with a slight smile. "I can fly the Mehaev well enough to avoid any danger. So don't worry about me. You should watch out for yourselves."

"Yeah, but-" Kitana shook her head. "Aw, hell, never mind. If you want to go and get yourself killed, fine by me." Rufus laughed softly despite himself at the comment but no one, save for Alita heard it.

"It isn't the best arrangement but I guess it's the best chance we've got." Cloud said reluctantly. "I suppose it's worth a try."

"I won't fail. You'll all get into Junon, I promise I haven't failed a mission yet."

"Everyone fails sometime." Tseng mentioned quietly.

"I can't this time. Please trust me."

"I do." Kasi nodded stoutly. "As long as everybody stops fighting like little kids. I know none of us are the best of friends, and never will be, but I don't want to have to listen to you all the way to Junon. So can you kind of put a stop to all of that...please, just for a little while..?"

Cloud nodded. "Yes, fine." Rufus said distractedly.

"Then let's pack up." Tifa said firmly.

Alita started out of the room quickly, eager to leave. She should check the Mehaev before trying this. She may have damaged it with her awkward landing into Midgar before.

"Excuse me?"

She turned. It was the doctor from before. "What is it?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you," She said eagerly. "I'm very curious about your previous condition. You came out of it so suddenly and very unexpectedly. Would you like me to examine you again? You weren't in the Jenova Project, were you?"

She saw Cloud in the background taking an interest. "I haven't been to North Crater recently, if that's what you mean. I'm all right now, and I don't think that any more of this is your business."

"Maybe you don't understand," She continued excitedly. "You have cells within you that I've never even seen before! If I could do some more research on you, then-"

"Please. I'm not about to become some med student's thesis."

"M-m-med student! I've got a Ph.D.!" Maire sputtered.

She brushed past the doctor. She had to get outside, check on the Mehaev or something. Staying here might bring up some more things she'd rather stay put.


End file.
